Sunday, January 29, 2012

A Shadowbox gift

Just a little update!  Here's my latest effort.  This is my nephew and his bride.  We were at their wedding and I managed to get some good shots of them with my little point and shoot camera.  I wanted to put this together for them for their first anniversary.  Well, that didn't happen.  :(  So, they got it for Christmas this year.  There is something about images set back in a shadowbox that makes them look really nice.  Of course, this looks better in person!  :)

By the way, where did January go??  I can't believe it's over already!


Enjoy the day.... do something creative!!

     ~  Teri

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

McMinnville Habitat's Run, Walk or Ride is coming up!

Hmm....well, Blogger must be hicupping, because the "browse" button, where I can look for an image that I've saved on my computer, isn't showing up.  That's ok.  This post isn't so much about that image, anyway.  It's about motivation and inspiration and how I need some!!!  I don't know what's happened.  I want to walk, but I can't seem to get myself moving!  I can't seem to get back into the swing of it!  I did so well last winter..... and, with a membership to the indoor track, I really have no excuse.  I don't have to walk in the rain, cold or dark.... except possibly on Sundays and Mondays because they're closed those days.  But, that's not the problem.  I've been to the indoor track twice in the last two weeks!!!  I've lost a lot of the ground I'd gained with running....I'm back to 3 min. intervals.  But, last week, I was able to run eight, 3 min. intervals.... and I felt great!  My legs were a bit tired and sore, afterwards... but, a *good* tired and sore!!  I feel SO good, emotionally, after I walk or run.... so, why am I not keeping at it??  Is it only a matter of encouragement??

The annual McMinnville Habitat for Humanity is coming up on June 16th.  I've done it the last two years.  The first year, I walked the 5K.  Last year, I did the 5K run, only I lost steam the last eight weeks of training and wasn't able to run very much of it.  That was very disappointing.  I've decided to do the Walk, again, unless I make great strides in the next few months!  (No pun intended!)  I can run part of the Walk, if I feel inclined....but, it's a bummer to be walking when you're doing a Run. 

So, here's what happened the last two months before the Run last year.  I'd been running, mostly indoors, but on a track.  Not a treadmill!  I mostly timed myself.... didn't care much about distance, although my pedometer was telling me that I was doing about 2 - 2.5 miles.  I got up to being able to run for 30 mins!!  I felt great!!! 

The weather started to warm up and I started running outside, in the mornings, like I always did.  But, it felt differently in my lungs.  I felt a bit of congestion in them... or the bronchial tubes.... as I sometimes have with seasonal allergies.  So, I figured that's what was going on.  But, it didn't seem bad enough to affect me the way it did!  Running outside, I couldn't do nearly what I could when I ran indoors!

Then, the Habitat Run happened.  I had gotten several friends and family members to join me.  I was so excited, but I couldn't even run the first mile!  Maybe I'm still beating myself up over that.  Maybe I need to let go of that so that I can move forward.

I continued on, over the summer.....walking and running....but, I was definitely having to play "catch-up" with the running.  Now, I feel like I'm teetering on a wall.....trying to decide whether to jump over to the walking/running side or the ??? side. 

I'd also joined Weight Watchers and was loving it!  I love that you just eat; you make your own food and you decide what to eat.  But, by keeping track of it, it makes you choose more wisely.  No, you don't want to waste too many "points" on empty calories.  And, you make points by being active!  I lost 20#!  Then, WW decided to switch up their points program and I was totally messed up.  The points that I had memorized were now all changed!  The points I received per week were now different!  I know, it's just an excuse.  It's not WW's fault... but, I have *not* been able to adapt and get back into the swing of it!!  It's so easy to just add your food, for each meal or snack, online; to keep track of your physical activity, online.  They have videos that you can watch about cooking or exercises.  They have forums, etc.... etc... All the support you could need!!  But, somehow, it's like it's too much for me to get my mind around!  Why can't I get back into it?? 

I'll take any words of advice or encouragement I can get!!

Thanks for listening!

       ~ Teri

Friday, January 6, 2012

Happy New Year and the last of Christmas......

Happy New Year!!  I know, I know... here I am, wishing you a Happy New Year and, yet, I'm showing you more Christmassy  things!  Unfortunately, there will probably be even more after this.... I think I have one more of these to make...then, I can send them off!!    You see, it all comes from starting on my Christmas preparations so late.  That puts me still working on Christmas gifts when my mom's birthday rolls around on January 10th!!  So, of course, I start out at a deficit and then that seems to continue all year through.  :(  It has to change.  Please, someone remind me no later than September (!!), to start working on my gifts!!  Plus, I like to make things for peoples' birthdays, too, so I am making things all year round.  It's always one of my New Year's Resolutions....usually the only one, really.  Manage my time better - and don't procrastinate (!!) -  in order to get cards and gifts to people on time!!  Wish me luck!!!
So, the snowflakes that I mounted over everything on these were from a punch.  My son went crazy and punched a bunch of them a few years ago, (after he talked me into buying that punch because he loved it soooo much!!), but, then, we didn't really know what to do with them.  I've kept them in a little open tin all these years, figuring I'd use them someday.  I coated them with Mod-Podge and then covered them with an ultra-fine glitter... the color is "Crystal".... it's a Martha Stewart glitter, actually.  Then, I adhered them by putting more Mod-Podge on the back.

The "Christmas Greetings" on this one is raised with double-sided foam tape.  Mine is made by 3M, but it's no longer in its original package and I've had it for so long that I can't remember what the name of it is.  I mean, I've had it probably close to 20 years!  You can find it here.  It's easy to cut, if you need it to be rounded off, or whatever.  It's also under those birds on the one that I posted before.
OK.... I have some crafting to do!!  I hope you all have a wonderful new year!!  Here's to good health, happiness and prosperity!!

         ~ Teri