Okay....so let us try this....

I know....I know....I am such a slacker...it's true. Perhaps my new iPad will solve some of my slackerness...eh.who am I kidding??? I have been making things like a mad woman....Christmas is upon us...coupled with the fact that I am broke, I am making a whole slew of things to give away and help with the cash flow....here's one thing I am particularly happy with....it's a cute purse I made out of a little girl dress size 12 months....love it!!
Let me know what you think and if this works, I will be posting a lot more .... Promise....pinky swear.... Xoxoxo~Jen

Something positive...

In my previous posts, I have written about what I want to do, what I should and shouldn't do, and basically what I want to be when I grow up. I am evolving, and let's face it...do we ever really grow up? Well, I certainly hope not....I concider myself a lifelong learner, always learning something, trying something...but I really hadn't concidered what is that I am doing right, in the little game that we call life...right?





I had said that I had gotten myself into a rut of sorts...I am guessing that that feeling usually comes along when you are middle aged...children get older...I don't know, I see myself getting older and I really didn't like it...I didnt like the path I was taking and I wanted to be able to enjoy my time after I have an empty nest...mind you i still have a 10 year old, so it's still pretty far off...anyhow, I think that's why I was feeling the way I was...





yesterday it hit me, I hadn't really taken into concideration, the things I had been doing right over the years...for instance, I never pass up the chance to laugh...those of you that know me, I laugh at everything that strikes me as funny, no matter how many times I have seen it...I laugh a really stupid things too, like the shark scene on strange wilderness...





I hope that works...but I laugh every single time, I cant help it...it just never gets old to me..

I absolutely love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...prolly more than I did when I was a kid....and milk, I drink a lot more milk than I used to....

Theres something about sharks...no, TALKING sharks that just make me laugh...I love the snickers squared commercial too...





it's hilarious...
so I laugh a lot, you all get that now, right? it's the best, and prolly my favorite...

I really try to make something everyday...even if it is just somethng small and simple...it makes me feel good....

I am really trying to "Go with the flow" take it as it comes and not go crazy in the process...I will let you know how THAT goes....

One other thing, I am really trying is not to take things so personally....crap happens all the time and I am really trying to give other people the benefit of the doubt(when appropriate) and hopefully that notion will come back to me...

I know, my list isnt as long as my "want to" list...and there is prolly a lot I have left out...but I thought I would share this little bit with ya...

so until next time,
Go with the flow...oh yeah, and laugh a little, will ya?
xoxoxo!
Jen

So...I have been thinking...

Yeah, it's true..I have been thinking..contemplating life in general...trying to be true to myself, I guess. Wanting to be true to myself...

I hit 40 last year, I guess you could say it really hit me hard. Thinking about all I have been through, how fortunate I was to actually be here..and how scary it was to think if it weren't for the great doctors I have encountered in my life, I wouldn't be here...

So, at the age of 40, I realized that I had let myself go. I had gotten myself into the metaphorical rut, so to say. ( I know I am not the only one) I am pretty easy going...not too high maintenance...I go with the flow...yeah, yeah, yeah...yadda...yadda...yadda..

I started taking better care of myself. I started exercising regularly, eating better, researching better ways to take care of my body, my mind and my soul...It has been a year and half since my journey began...

Needless to say, I am still working on big facets of this so-called "renewal". I want to have that " I don't care what anybody else thinks" kind of attitude...I want to be confident in myself...but it's hard...

I have been toying with the idea of wearing a bikini for a while....which is a BIG thing for me...I have had 12 surgeries...all abdominal surgeries....What to do?

weight lost....check
(went from a 41" waist to a 31 1/2" waist in a year and a 1/2) (still working on it though)
toned up...check (check out my yoga post)
bikini bought....check
bikini fits...check...
just can't do it...

I want to...people are so mean..
It's not even that I think i look that great in a bikini...it's just HAVE YOU SEEN THE WHOLE PEICES, OF LATE...They suck!

I mean, why shouldn't I ? Should I hide my scars? Should I just pretend that they aren't there? (What? ) I know they are ugly...BUT...they have made me who I am today....Right?(what don't kill ya will make ya stronger...) I don't know....maybe I should just go for it... afterall, I will be in the water past my navel for the most part, so who cares...

That takes me to things I have read on the message boards about this subject...Its sad really...I don't think people take other people circumstances into account...They can be just mean...I thought I found something a couple of weeks ago...On the cover of Woman's World magazine there was a girl in a bikini, who said she wore a bikini DESPITE her scars...WOW! I was impressed...(I still am, she was on the cover, afterall...) BUT she was like 23...she too had a kidney surgery of some sort...like 15 years ago, instead of 30 years ago....big difference in the scars...I would definitely not have a problem with that...it would be a non issue...little bit of a tan and I am good to go(perhaps...I don't know)I don't think people(especially me) really grasp the concept of how bad is it, really?....I see people all the time that I wouldnt want to trade places with...not that I think it's that bad, just a different set of problems...
Maybe I will set a goal... and then MAKE myself do it...couldn't be that bad...Could it? I have sang in front of loads of people...carried on and acted foolish, probably in front of more people that I care to mention....I can do this...it's not like I am a stripper or something, asking for money( just in case there are any "exotic dancers"with scars out there, reading my blog, I want your confidence, let me know how you do it...) ( I need as much help as I can get)......I just want to swim...comfortably...I think emotionally comfortable falls under that umbrella too, right?

so until, I figure this out...cover up, it is....

For obvious reasons, there will be no pictures with this post....

until we meet again!
xoxo!

it's YOGA time!

I love yoga...and I never really thought about it before, but I actually fought doing yoga...mostly because I didn't think I was strong enough. I had always heard that you needed a strong core to do yoga. What I didn't know is that Yoga will develop a strong core for you...it just takes time. (I have had 12 abdominal surgeries, in my life, and if I can do it ANYONE can do it) BESIDES, it makes me feel SOOO FREAKING GOOD!

Let me start off by saying this before I go any further, I am not, by any stretch of the word, good at yoga. I do yoga in my livingroom, by myself, to a video, or looking at a book or magazine. I have watched videos on youtube, and I own 2 or 3 videos...plus there are some decent videos on demand or through excercise TV...I have never set foot in a yoga studio...nonetheless, I feel really good after yoga...I have stretched my muscles, cleansed my mind, and released the achyness in my body....Did I say it feels good? WELL, IT DOES, for sure.

I generally do "vinyasa" or flows that involve downward facing dog, plank, upward facing dog, etc etc...The part I love the most is the poses, or "asana" I love trying new poses and trying to the the poses I can do better...holding them longer, figuring out how to breathe and staying balanced has always been a struggle for me, but I am learning...(ha!)

The three poses I love the most are; "the tree"

Like this pose right here

It makes me feel so good, I can hold it for 60 seconds if I want to, and that is no small feat, I tell you.

it just makes me happy...

I also love the dancers pose....

I can't hold it as long as "the tree" pose...but I am getting better at it...I am getting a little more bendy and am able to raise my leg a little more...when I started my back was almost completely flat...I cant bend as much as I wish I could, but I am getting there...

This pose always makes me smile...and sometime laugh...at myself...cause I am on the floor..BUT IT'S FUN! no doubt about it...

The third on I love to do is the bow...no falling here..

cause you are on the floor, on your belly already...

just like in this picture

It feels so good on my chest and the backs of my legs...sometimes if I am out of alignment(which may not be anybody elses case, except mine) this pose pops me back into place...my spine, that is...it gives me energy

So that's all I got on yoga, for now,(I will let you know if I figure anything else out)...I LOVE it...makes me feel so good, it challenges you and really builds your core( I am living proof of that) If you have thought about it before, but kinda shyed away from it...just GO FOR IT...it's awesome!

There is a Revolution @ Ellwood Thompsons!

so....I took a bunch of my handmade stuffs to Ellwood Thompsons the other day and sold it to them wholesale...(so, offically I am a vendor )(yay!, right?) They have put my stuff out, did all my advertising for me and really helped me get a few people looking at my stuff...

Just so you know...and you prolly do, I make stuff...I MEAN LOADS of different stuff...I am an artist with A.D.D...ON STERIODS...(not really, but I think its a good metaphor) The cool thing about my stuff is that I make everything from something that has already been used and thrown to the wayside...I rescue it...persay and give it new life...I make all kinds of stuff and I try to learn new things all the time, as you have prolly already gathered, if you have been reading my blog...I will post things on here from time to time and perhaps even how-tos to go with it...but if you dont want to make one or you just like the one I made...I have an ETSY shop...

http://www.therevolution.etsy.com/ I have been working on it pretty dilegently for about a week now and it's starting to take shape...although it doesnt have the variety of things in it that I really want...it will eventually....

heres a picture of the stuff I sold to Ellwoods...
notice the board next to it...its all about me! (and my artwork, of course...sooooo exciting, I must say...)




Those of you who don't know Ellwood Thompsons, they are located in Carytown. They are a local market, meaning they get everything they possibly can get from within a 100 mile radius. All of their produce is locally grown and the variety is out of this world! They are an amazing grocery store and they have so much going for them...if you are in the area, you should check them out, i have them on my blog roll, lots of good stuff going on there too...
until next time, take care! xo!

so....How about this?

So I was thinking about my list last night...I know...it WAS long...Like I said, I have been working on this for over a year...(I think it has to do with me turning 40, and the terrible, horrible, midlife crisis I have been going through) BUT...I am trying to turn this into a positive. Learning all I can...taking better care of myself and my family...and having a little bit of fun along the way...nothing wrong with that..

Somewhere in my list, I listed growing a garden....a veggie garden to be exact. I love fresh vegetables, and the feeling of knowing where it came from and how it was grown...it is amazing. I can remember visiting my Grandparents in Kentucky(and Arkansas) during the summer from California. They had a huge garden! I loved gathering tomatoes, and cucumbers, when my Grandma would ask. It was just a novelty back then, though...I didnt fully appreciate all that goes into growing a garden. I wish I had paid more attention to more of the details...I DO remember my great-Grandma sending my brother and I out with a wheelbarrow to "get the rocks out of her garden" I have a feeling it was mostly to keep us busy, cause we were acting up...nonetheless, I remember it. I remember that and the bonnets my great grandma wore out in the sun...funny what you remember...

Anyhow...I decided that I was going to try to grow vegetables this year...oh yeah! it turned into a huge production...Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't (didnt) have the right space to grow a garden...too much shade...I tried containers...and nothing...such a let down...This year, we cut down trees...like 22 trees...altogether...so there ya go...we have light...hauled in some dirt...did a little research on raised gardens...built some raised gardens...pretty good..planted my plants and seeds...so far so good...I keep telling myself, it is a LATE..raised garden...my garden is producing...I have gotten some cucumbers...there are a bunch of tomatoes..I have gotten a handful of peppers...I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN... The pic at the top is right when I planted it...and of course, my scarecrow...

I am trying so hard to grow this organically, without any chemicals...I have found a few things that work...It sure is funny, I havent seen ANY bunnies or crows here, in my subdivision,until I started this garden...Its crazy...I have learned that I need A LOT MORE dirt...AND I need to start earlier, FOR SURE...other than that, I am doing okay...I am writing it all down, cause NEXT year I am going to have SUPER GARDEN...it will have its own cape and everything...

THATS IT, Thats the list...

I don't know about you, but I sometimes sit down in the evening and watch PTI, aka, Pardon The InteruPTIon...with Tony Kornhiser and Michael Wilbon...they are hilarious...I like their dynamics...anyway, they have a quote they use all the time throughout their show..."That's it, THATS the list" whether they are talking about top baseball players, or plays made in a football game, or top college coaches..whatever...I thought...why can't I apply that to my life? Why can't I make a list of how I want to be, how I want to live...NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A SO-CALLED "BUCKET LIST"...just a reminder of things I want to do and how I want to live.

So...I started this list...at first it was pretty simple, it kinda did resemble a freaking bucket list...but I wanted it to be more than that. I have been evolving as a person over the last couple of years...things that didn't seem too important to me, now are important to me...I am learning new things, broadening my horizons...growing as a person...finding myself, I suppose...

without further adew, I am going to put my list up here...I know some of the things are really stupid, but there is a definite trend...so here goes...It's pretty long, so bear with me...

1. I want to go to more live music venues...I want to see OCMS, Old 97s, Trampled by Turtles...up to and including...going to friends house just to pick a little guitar and sing a little song...I really want to have music as a bigger part of my life...

2. I want to actually kill a dove WHEN I go dove hunting...yeah, I hunt, but I only hunt for things that I will actually eat, and I really like dove...

3. I want to own a place in the country(I want to get BACK there) with a big porch and some sort of water, be it a pond, lake or stream or river...I would LOVE for it to be a river...

4. Own a Jeep..I have a jeep, but I want a Wrangler...something I can take the top off and feel the sun on my shoulders...

5. Go camping more..and in different kinds of places...mountains, beach, even desert, someday...

6.Build a bonfire on the beach...pretty much goes with the camping thing, i guess...but i still would like to do it..

7. Learn to play guitar, accordian(yeah, accordian), harmonica, and ukulele..which i have been dabbling with all of them for about 7 months (except the accordian..) (guess you gotta have one of those to learn to play one, right?)

8.learn to sew...which I pretty much have...I even know how to put in a zipper pretty well...

9. Grow the most fabulous veggie garden...I want to learn to grow artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb...I want a tiny greenhouse to I can grow everything from seeds...( I know, i don't want much)

10.Grow the most fabulous flower garden.

11. Grow the most fabulous rose garden...how I would love to have roses like my Grandma did..

12. Finish my book...almost done :)

13. Have a solo art exhibit...eventually

14.write a relevent blog...I AM TRYING, DUDE!!!

15. Find something to believe in...

16. BE HAPPY!

17. Learn to hula hoop and juggle...I got the hula hoop thing...juggling...thats another story..

18.I want a working studio...

19. I want to learn how to make the most awesome desserts, mostly super cute cupcakes..

20.I want to learn how to make fermented tea, my own beer, wine or whiskey..I think that would be cool..

21. I want to learn to can food well.

22.I want to run a 5k, 10k, 13.1 and a mini triatholon...did the 5k...and I met my goal of finishing and not finishing last...yay!

23.I want to have 6 chickens...weird I know...I love eggs though...

24. I want to learn how to eat cleaner than I am right now...

25. Last one, I want to learn to crochet...which would be a huge feat for me, cause I am left handed...I know, not an excuse...but YOU haven't seen me try to crochet, now have you?

Well, that's it...thats the list...I know, I know...I have a LOT of work to do...actually I have been working on this for about a year and a half...so some of them I have already accomplished...and now I have somewhere to go with my blog! yeah! I will post some pictures of things that i have accomplished...er...well, things that I have tried..NOT PERFECTED, by any means..I got A LOT of work to do...A LOT of work!

Take care of yourselves! and catch ya later! xoxo!

Happy Birthday America! U! S! A! you! ess! aye! i (heart) the good ole U.S.A. Have a good one you all! Stay safe!

Let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Well, hello there! This is my no holds barred, make or break, what don't kill ya will make you stronger attempt at a blog. Yeah, I have had a blog before BUT I have been pondering this blog for about a year or so...lots of ideas! LOTS and lots of ideas...

I read so many blogs...it's kinda sad how many I read...and one takes me to another and so forth...you know how that happens...I love to read about new things, new trends, new ventures, new hobbies...I LOVe to take what I learned and torque it a little...give it my own twist and see where it goes...it's the best...

anyhow...the biggest reason I have started this blog is I have started a new venture...it's called the REVOLUTION....a new spin on old things...I generally take used things that I have bought secondhand and give them a new life...I make jewelry, clothing, artwork, home and garden decor, guitar and camera straps, books, hats, purses, and hair accessories....

I hope that you will check back, subscribe to my email and by all means, BECOME A FOLLOWER...

Until next time, tootalue!