Furry Chaos

If you've ever had a 10 week old puppy in the house, you know the meaning of chaos.

 I come home to torn up garbage, solar lights dragged in the house,

clay pots, and where the heck is he getting wine corks from???

 What's wrong with this picture?

Arwen has been incredibly tolerant, 

but her 14-year-old patience is wearing thin.

And still, I'm in love.

Now get your wiggly butt off my couch.

Tool Time

 Okay, so I'm redoing a table.

And I have one of these nifty scrapers.

 The center section of the tabletop is damages veneer and has to come off.

This is going to take forever, right?

 WRONG!

Because I also have one of these! 

Well, yes, of course I know it's a saw.

 But that's where this comes in!

$15 at Lowes, this kit makes your sawzall into a multi-tasking maniac.

Sand, scrape, even clean your grill with this set.

It not only saves time, but money, since you don't have to buy an electric sander

ot additional tools.

 Lock it in to your saw just like a blade.

Now, lets get this tabletop off before the boys get home, shall we?

How's That Resolution Coming Along?

 Those of you who are new to LIR might not know it,

but this was me 3 years ago.

220 pounds and a size 24, I was eating my way into the hospital.

My doctor wasn't sure I'd live to go home.

After that, with the shape I was in, he gave me two years.

Obviously, it was time to get busy.

 Since "death" is kind of permanent,

 my diet changed, I stopped drinking,

 and I walked EVERYWHERE.

90 pounds later, I slipped into a size 8 for the first time in my life.

You can do this.

I broke out the weight loss motivation and 12 pounds are gone!

It really does help to visualize your progress, and each time you move a marble,

it's its own small reward.

I'm not done yet, of course.

Because I'd rather look like this.

(NOTE: I'm not a weight loss guru or expert.

I'm a middle aged mother who cut down on alcohol and fat and started exercising more, period.

 Consult a doctor before starting any weight loss program.

Set realistic goals not based on super models,

and remember, you are gorgeous at any weight.

Work it, Girl.)

Fortunately for me, I have a best friend.

The kind you can text at 3:00 AM just because you're awake.

Meet my BFF, Michael, from Diabetes Done Right.

He too got the news that some drastic changes were in order,

and now he's blogging daily recipes to shave off sugar, fat, and cholesterol.

It's working, too, because he's 14 pounds lighter himself in just a few weeks!

Having someone you can call for encouragement helps a lot.

Now stay tuned, because I have two projects underway 

for the Male Minion Man Caves!

 Samwow needs a coffee table, and this curbside oversized 

end table should be just right for his small space.

Thom's in need of a mirror, and this castoff just needs a little love

to be perfect.

With the kids coming home this weekend, I need to get busy!

What's Blooming?

Okay, Puppy Watchers,

this was love at first sight.

 And this was the first angry look I've gotten.

Seamus is evidently not a fan of baths.

 Apparently, I'm forgiven though.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled post, already in progress.

Happy Sunday.

Stuff for the Studios Part I

I have a confession...

 there's a new guy in my life.

Meet Seamus O'Bitey!

I popped by the farmer's market to get herb plants

and came home with a Lab/Irish Setter/Pittbull rescue

that's making me crazy, sucking all my time, eating my shoes,

and making me laugh constantly.

I'm surprised I got in a project for Thom's apartment!

As you may remember, my sons, Samwow and Thom,

now have bare-bones studio cribs.

The boys have vastly different styles;

Samwow's preference is a palette of khaki, black and white

with a very masculine tone,

while Thom wants to go with a beachy theme.

We're decorating on a shoe string, but the boys are kind of used to that with 

a Momma like me.

My wallet is shut so tight it squeaks.

 Now we all know my proclivity for candle projects.

I make the strangest stuff.

I'll make a light feature out of anything.

So when Thom wanted candlelight for dinner, which is

what he grew up on, I thought of something flameless (campus policy)

that would fit the bill.

His existing centerpiece is seagrass in a square vase, so...

 ...I hit Dollar Tree for something that would work!

 All you need is 2 votive holders...

 ...2 square, tall vases...

 ...filler of your choice to match your decor...

 ...some flickering battery tealights...

 ...and Goop!

I'm a huge fan of this waterproof, silicone sealant adhesive.

This is the best stuff for glass on glass projects.

 Okay, this is a quick one.

Put your desired filler in the vases.

 Run a bead of Goop around the top.

Center the votive holder on top.

Allow this to dry for at least 4 hours.

 I then nestled the tealights in some marbles I had left 

from a previous project.

 At almost 15 inches tall, these have a presence!

 With Thom's burgeoning tropical style, these will 

make a statement.

I think they'd also be perfect for a DIY wedding,

and at $5 a pair, they'll fit any budget.

And now, for your giggle-snort of the day...

Thanks to my good buddy Jane at The Borrowed Abode.

She and her new hubby Ryan are fellow pet junkies,

although not on the crazy-cat-lady-starter-kit level I am.