Steps In The Right Direction

I have been feeling wonderful and inspired this last couple weeks!

Most days I worked out hard. My activities of choice were running 2- 2.5 miles followed by some lifting or Tabata intervals. I have been super into it and feeling great for most the most part; I did end up getting a slight head cold or my allergies were acting up a bit though. Nothing major, but breathing while running with a stuffy nose is rough and I was getting dizzy. So, I took it easy for a few days around Easter.

If your not sweaty after your workout your not working hard enough.

But real rest is out of the question with a two year old running around. Instead I focused on some sewing projects while I distracted Maddie with my ribbon drawer. In my now organized later pile I found some pink material that had already been cut to make little pants. This project had been started when they would have fit Katie, and most likely been put off due to a lack of confidence in my sewing skills. I don't know what I was so worried about, they were super easy to make.

Finished cozy pants! 

Since the weather has been nice, Katie and I were wanting new maxi skirts. The original plan was to make us matching ones out of some fun stripey fabric I was given. But since I was just winging it mine didn't turn out very flattering. I then watched a couple of tutorials on YouTube, which I should have done in the first place, and took some of their advice and improvised a little to work with the fabric, as I had already started sewing. Katie's turned out perfect and Maddie ended up getting a mini maxi out of a piece of what was supposed to be my skirt.

Matching maxi skirts on my super cute test subjects!

While I was pinning and sewing I was also watching some TED talks. I was inspired by one incredible TED talk from guerilla gardener Ron Finley in particular which prompted me to start planning our own garden. This video is a MUST WATCH! I'm super excited about this project!

Maddie helping measure the space for the garden.

I had salvaged some pallets from a neighbor last summer that I hadn't decided what I was gong to do with. Now I thought they would be perfect to turn into raised beds!

pallets before

With tips from this tutorial from Old World Garden Farms, specifically using a saw to cut them apart at the nail as opposed to pulling them apart with a flat bar and hammer, we were able to salvage lots of usable wood.

salvaged wood (from only about half the pallets)

We decided to use the pieces from the top of the pallet first, securing them in the corners to scrap pieces of 2x4 we had laying around.

assembly

And ta-da! A raised bed just asking for some nutritious veggies to be grown in it!

So far no out of pocket cost!

Then, while we were at home depot picking up some flowers to brighten up the patio, we bought some organic vegetable soil as an impulse buy. It's nice to see the bed with the dirt in it but, we are going to need lots more soil so I need to do some research as to what will be the best quality at the most reasonable price. Any one have experience with this and any advice to pass on?

Dirt!

One of the things I love most about this is that my kids are going to see where their food comes from. They are going to help plant the seeds, and watch them grow. Then they are going to get to harvest and taste the fresh produce! So cool!!

Watching and waiting. <3

And then I was back to sewing some more. At this point I was on a roll. I made more matching skirts for the girls out of pajama pants and a dress for a dolly out of some scrap material.

Look at me go!

Then I got real brave and decided I was ready to start working with my own clothes! Yipes! I was pretty nervous but I also knew it wasn't really that much different than the other stuff I've been doing. I just like to psych my self out. Anyway, I bought this dress a couple summers ago because I loved how the skirt part flowed. The top never fit my well endowed chest, but I would just layer another tank top underneath it and tell myself it was good enough. Then I would see my reflection in something and tell myself not to wear it ever again as I looked like a giant bunch of grapes bursting out all over the place. So that's how this plum number made it into the alteration pile. I didn't do anything fancy really, just cut off the ill fitting top and sewed in an elastic waist band. 

Bippidy, boppety, boo!

I was so happy with the finished skirt I took it out for a test drive during First Friday Spokane, and LOVED it even more. I went with some fantastic people to the design collective to see Jamaali Roberts' show Huebrus Reflexive. Then down the street to Saranac Art Projects to see new paintings by Ryan Desmond and sculptures by Cori McWilliams. All three artists were phenomenal!! I left the evening feeling even more inspired and full of new life and energy! Art can be so powerful. :)

Found this guy while checkin' out the art!

I feel like I am becoming closer to the real authentic version of myself I have always wanted to be and it is beyond exciting! When I weighed in yesterday at 207.2, down 1.4 pounds from about 2 weeks ago, I was almost bummed that it wasn't more. But I reminded myself of the 40 pounds I've lost already and of the personal growth I've gained so far. So even a small step is a step in the right direction. And instead of being bummed about it not being a big number I'm going to be proud of myself for seeing this lifestyle change through and coming so far.