New Years Resolutions

I don't have Resolutions photo so you get a kitten.
A kitten staring into the light of the great unknown world ahead. ..Oooo Nice tie in!
I'm gonna pretend that was on purpose. Yay for new beginnings!

January is almost gone, how are those resolutions working out for you? I am weird about resolutions, i tend to make them all the time. I am a very resolute person :P but I can see the benefit of January, can't you? The binge eating, the massive influx of social pressures and the loss of time to just balance your life in general. Utter chaos has reigned, finally culminating in an late or may be all-nighter of typically over-board bad choices.  Ta da! The year is new, you're a sack of toxins and ready to cleanse! Or something like that. Mostly, it's time to scale it back a bit, get some order in the daily life. Ironically, we do this by making promises to ourselves we likely can't keep. It's the endorphins kicking in. NEW!!!! YAY!!!!!

I am not saying I didn't make resolutions, but I kinda made them back in November. Still, i cut myself some slack for the holidays. There is no way anyone thinks a diet is going to work then. Maybe crazy people. And this is the first time I have gone on a "weight loss" diet. I have made healthy changes before, cleansed, gone off gluten and sugar and those sorts of things but that was because it was kinda killing me not  to do that. This is because I have gained fat LOL like I am technically 50 pounds over weight.

*Brief Random Rant*

Does anyone else think that BMI's need to be punched in the face? Because it says I should be 155 and there is no way that is happening. I was that on a good day in high school! When I was 165 people didn't know where I would lose the weight from. I'd look anorexic. So yeah. We are going to just ignore the BMI thing.

*Brief Random Rant Ended*

I'll tell you what I do like though. Weight Watchers. Yeah, Jennifer Hudson sold me. It's the last name. WE HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON!!!! Actually, my brother and sister-in-law did it and really liked it so I thought I'd give it a shot. I am on week three and have no complaints, in fact I am really loving it. See, when we moved up here, the veggie were so...different...ie not as yummy...that I stopped eating them. And that didn't help the weight I had already put on but it also just developed this bad habit of not eating veggies and fruit. One of the things that has just taken off for me is that. Something about them being zero points, its like I can eat them forever and it won't matter! I polished off a Costco bag of sugar snap peas in 2 days. yeah. for realz. It's so much better. I have lost (wait for it) 1/2 a pound. meh. BUT my waist has gone down 2 inches so something is happening. And I feel better, like a lot. So that makes me happy. And my brother says its a slow start sort of thing, so don't get discouraged.

I have also been working out. Last year my husband agreed to let me invest in a Wii Fit. We didn't even have a Wii and we are kinda not rich but we got a good set up used. Its one of those "invest in your health" decisions. Then the TV broke and we had to get a new one of those too. BAH! So this all started back in October and it wasn't until January that I even got around to using it for more that 10 min at a time. Now I have been making sure I hit 30 min and am working up to more. It's good to feel the body getting stronger again.

And now the third one. Taking a time out. I like this one the most I think but it's going to be hard to stick to. Still. I think it will be worth it. I hope your resolutions are going as well!

Jewelry Organizer

This is a foam board covered in some fabric, glued on with fabri-tac glue

I took these corks and cut them in half...

and this twine...

And E-6000 glued them on to make these. Easy. Free for me since I had everything. And it brings a nice colorful element to the white walls (no likey white walls)

Upcycle: Glasses Frames

By the by... If you google "Brunette with Glasses" for ideas on what color frames might be an option with your hair color, you find out you have the potential to be the center of a sexy librarian/boss/teacher fantasy pretty much just by wearing black rimmed glasses with your brunette. And who doesn't want that (she said with all the sarcasm in her vocal cords could muster in one tone)

Ok, I admit looking "hot" would be a bonus, womanizing not withstanding. According to the husband though, I don't need to do anything to accomplish that. So really I just want my glasses to look nice on my face and I am bored with the shiny metal look of my frames. And I don't have $150 bucks for some new ones....what to do what to do...

Oh right, paint them. 

Kyla Roma had a lovely tutorial on this at her site (check it). However, I do not trust my "steady hand" so I kinda wrapped the glass part with masking tape to protect it, like so:

Initially, I tried gold model paint mixed with a dark brown acrylic but it really looked crappy kinda chunky and stuff. Plus it was still metallic which was part of what I was avoiding. Oh and it didn't stand out from all my brown. I wanted them to pop a little...

SO Navy Blue won :)

You can see the blue better in this one :) I look classy with my crazy hair recently attacked by a kitten! He likes french braids.

New Kitten or Why I Disappeared For A Month

Meet Porthos



He is my Christmas present :)
He is just turning 10 weeks and is keeping us on our toes.



if you are wondering where I fell off to, well this is one of the reasons I havent quite made it back since Christmas! :) But he's a cute little reason isn't he?? Still he kinda attacks my computer a lot, because he can see the things moving on the screen. He loves it. Some other reasons include: moving our things from storage (FINALLY!!), going on a diet (yay New Years), and having migraines for a week (lame).

He is surprisingly smart for a little kitten. He already knows his name and used the litter box from the get go like a champ. He is all kinds of cute. So while I try to get back into the swing of blogging (have you ever noticed how hard it is to type when a kitten mauls your hands at the same time?) bask in the healing powers of the cuteness that is a furry little poof ball.

Blackberry Poached Pears

Got a shin dig tonight and I really want to use this blackberry jam my awesome  ex-sister-in-law  friend sent me from Washington. It tastes great all on its own but for some reason I want to give it some special lovin' in a recipe.

New Years is not a BIG deal to me but its another reason to have some fun with friends and who doesn't love that? You know what sounds like a good fit here? Pears poached in wine with a blackberry jam twist. Doesn't that just fit like a glove?! Warm, inviting, sweet and slightly alcoholic. Suites the weather and the holiday! This came out really tasty, the picture above is when the pears just started, when they are done the wine has soaked in and changed their color to a gorgeous purple. I admit one person at the party didn't like it, but on the flip side a guy who normally HATES pears loved them soooo everyone is different :) I would make them again.

(PS I referenced my all time favorite crockpot website for the cook times etc. to get my bearings on the recipe. I love you, Steph, thank you for all you do! oh my gosh just realized she made these for new years eve too! dude, great minds thinking alike...)

Blackberry Poached Pears

5 (8-ounce) cans pear ("If you'd prefer to use "real" ones, try 6 peeled and cored pears")
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine (I used a sweet malbec)

1/2 cup blackberry jam
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise

Directions

Drain pears, and add them to the crockpot. Measure the sugar, vanilla extract and jam into a separate mixing bowl. Pour some of the wine into the mixing bowl as well and mix them together. Pour mixture into the crockpot. Add the rest of the bottle of wine. Float the cinnamon stick and star anise on top. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2.

Serve warm in bowls with a large dollop of whipped cream or ice cream (or alone even!).