Day 91

This was a much better day for me. Yesterday was wrong, just...wrong. I felt unwell and achey and...well...just wrong. Today was a whole different story. Why? Because I got some rest. I really think that I've been cutting it too close in the area of sleep and it finally just bit me in my a**. I have a self imposed schedule and when I explained it to my sister her reaction was, "What? Why???" Although I know you're going to say the same thing, I'll explain.  I don't have a long commute to work Monday through Friday, but what there is of it can be very stressful. If you ever check out my YouTube channel, you'll find 5 videos of my commute home following 5 different paths. I made those videos because traffic makes me nuts. It seems like I'm  completely surrounded by selfish, hateful drivers who can't seem to understand that driving is not and I repeat NOT a full-contact sport!! I LOVE driving. No, I didn't say I "liked" it, I said LOVE IT and there are times when driving to work makes me want to stop driving! To avoid driving these feelings, I have to leave my home for the office by 6:30am. This is so I can be in my office by 7am and be able to leave by 4pm. The 4pm drive home is also better. Just 15 minutes later at either end will be bad. In order to leave the house by 6:30am, I need to be up getting ready by 4:30am. Yes, that's right, I need 2 hours to get ready for work. So, in order to get enough rest/sleep I need to be in bed by 8:30pm during the weekdays. So, go ahead, ask me how many times I've been to bed by 8:30pm. The answer to your question is, "None!" I'm usually in bed by 10:30pm and that 2 hours simply caught up with me yesterday. It literally made me sick. I'm kind of ashamed, but it cost me a vacation day to just get the rest I needed to feel better. Go ahead, you can say it, "Stupid girl!" Yes, I'm humbled. I talked it over with my sister and the answer is easy. I like the schedule, so I have to get to bed on time starting Sunday night!

This means that I'll be starting the writing of my blog each day now during my lunch hour at work. I usually eat lunch at my desk working, but that's time I'm giving my company that they don't really ask for. Since I like to be busy, the blog will help me accomplish that and free up evening time so I can get to bed earlier. Also, since the days are getting shorter, it should be easy for me to get to bed by 8:30 since it won't feel like it's too early. I've set an alarm on my laptop to help keep me on schedule and I know everything will be okay.

So, enough with my schedule woes! The day was great and I was able to visit my FAVORITE grocery store on earth, Central Market on North Lamar in Austin. It's about 30 minute drive from my house, so this isn't a place I shop often, but honestly it is a palace to the best foods on earth. I had a great time and really just enjoyed setting up the food for this week. They have a HUGE selection of chef prepared foods and I was able to put together 11 meals for less than $4 per meal! My husband and I had some for supper tonight and it was delicious. I also repainted my nails again. The last set lasted about like the set before them did; about 2 seconds. So here are my 'stand in' nails (which just means I'll wear them until they chip):

I've got to do something about the lighting in here! The pink on these nails is a Sinful Color called "24/7" and is the most neon pink you've ever seen, but in this light...well...you see what lighting can do for or to you! Good thing I like paining my nails. So I'll call this simple design: "Pink On The Dot!"

Today I had a normal breakfast, lunch was a Lean Cuisine and supper was the chef prepared meal from Central Market. I was hungry all day today, so I'm still not quite sure what's causing that. I just need to keep working at my problem: Portions! That's where my focus is and that's where it has to stay.

Tomorrow will be a day to sleep in for once since the groceries are all done! Then I'll probably do some other shopping that I need to get out of the way. I wish my sister Gena was here to go with me hold my hand. I'm not a very good shopper, but this has got to be done before I travel soon. I'll be fine, but if you're in Austin, Texas this weekend and you see a woman bolt from a store with that "I'm totally overwhelmed" look on her face, you may have just witnessed my escape! Yes, I've actually done that before. So, until tomorrow, sweet dreams, Sweeties!!

Day 3

Can we hear it for Day 3? Whoop, whoop!! Yep, this was a day, if ever there was one. Work was beautiful, as usual. Things are what you make of them, after all. Food wasn't bad. I'd love to say I stuck to the plan, but I dilly-dallied around this morning and had NO time to make my breakfast. So, I ate breakfast out of the Avanti Market in the break room at the office. (Cringe...) They have a product which is basically a sausage wrap that's about 450 calories. So, I had one. Extra 100 calories, but okay I wasn't hungry. Honestly, I have to stop doing that!

Lunch was what I had planned:  Bean and low-fat cheese tacos with cherry tomatoes and a piece of fruit (a peach).  I loved the lunch!  Was easy to prep, ready to pack in a jiffy and it was delicious. I added some Chalula Sauce to spice it up.

I ate my afternoon snack today and it was good, but sweet things make me want more sweets. Here's the snack that may have to be replaced in future days:

Really tasty but makes me crave more sugar. Right after eating it I found myself thinking, "You know, there is other GREAT stuff back there in the break room!" Then I had to tell myself to get a grip and stop being stupid. I opened an email and solved another problem which got me over the hump, but I don't want to have to be fighting the urge to raid the break room every day at 4pm!! We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Dinner was as I planned with an added twist of leftover mushrooms and asparagus. I microwaved the spaghetti squash and topped it with a half cup of bottled sauce, added a couple of spoonfuls of leftover sautéed mushrooms and 8 of the shrimps I made on Saturday (I froze the leftovers and popped them into the sauce).  I had a few of the asparagus leftover and added them to the bowl.  Here is what it looked like (right before I ate it up!!):

The sauce I used is a puttanesca variety with the black olives and capers...yummy!  You can see the yellow squash under the shrimp, mushrooms and sauce. It really was delicious. Leftover vegetables are always welcome on my plate. I'm trying to have as many veggies and fruits as I can.

I'm still fighting the sciatic nerve thing, but it is better. The more I move the better it is. Last night I stretched by doing a pedicure. When you are a big girl, like I currently am, it can be a challenge to do your toes! My finger and toe nails are actually kind of on the small side, so nail art is really only possible on my big toes so I painted them a neon pink by Sinful Colors called 24/7 and then painted a white daisy with a purple center on each big toe. The photograph doesn't do the pink justice:

Freshly pedicured, happy feet!

Post painting...the lighting in my bathroom made the color UGLY! Trust me, it's bright!!!

 So, that's what I've been up to on day 3. I must say that the blog is helping me keep focused and it also helped me have somewhere to go and something to do after dinner. Believe it or not, right after eating that great big bowl of squash, sauce, veggies and shrimp, what did I think..."I wonder what else is in the fridge?" I couldn't believe by stupid brain. I had to mentally say to myself, "You are NOT hungry! Go write your blog...dam-it!!" Rescued by a writing project. Only in my world! See you on day 4, Sweeties!!

Redecorating a Closet Part 2

It took a bit longer than I expected to finish the closet and it's not completely finished now.  The floor still needs to be replaced with the laminate, but that can wait until it's cooler.  The painting and new closet system setup went fairly quickly.  The only issue during the process is the shelf that I originally purchased to serve as the resting place for frequently worn jewelry and perfume was a SAD excuse for a shelf.  It was replaced with the glass shelf seen in the photographs.  Also, it took me weeks to decide on the light fixture.  The original design called for a small chandelier, but I couldn't find what I wanted.  Then one day shopping on Amazon.com, I found THE fixture.  It immediately made me think of the 1960s and I just LOVED the 1960s!  It was modified for me to add the pull chain and there you go!  a huge improvement on what I had before.  My sister called the old light, "A light bulb for a prison cell."  It was in a cage, you see.

Here is what the closet looks like now:

The painting seen hanging on the wall is just there temporarily.  Yes, it's a painting of me.

The paint color used is Pleasing Pink A34-2 by Olympic.  After painting the closet and while it was still empty, the pink was reflecting off itself and was SO bright I was sure the color choice was a mistake.  However, when the things were added back into the closet the color really settled down nicely.  The closet system added to the back wall is much more efficient than the original rod that was against the longest wall.  The system is made by Rubbermaid and was very affordable through Amazon.com. The cost:  less than $70 US!  On the really small wall near the door a decorative hook in the shape of a Dragonfly was added to hold my flip flops and as you can see in the next picture the light fixture is just adorable!   (Excuse the yellow looking door frame.  The bathroom light is awful!)  The new closet fixture creates a great pattern of random light circles.  I just LOVE it!!

The clover shaped stool was always in the plan and another purchase via Amazon.com.  When it was all said and done the remodel investment was just under $200 US.  The closet has been mine for 30 years.  It was shabby, dingy and just an awful place to be.  Now, I go stand in it, look in the mirror and  bask in the glow of the pink!  I didn't think it was possible, but a closet can be a happy place.

Redecorating a Closet

This is the weekend that I start the overhaul of my tiny, but functional closet. I am not a person with lots of clothing or shoes.  My standard is to keep the number of items to a minimum.  To accomplish this, I have only a certain number of hangers, spaces for shoes and handbags and etc. Everything has a place, so I cannot bring something into my closet unless something else leaves. At the moment, the closet is very inefficient.  The long hanging rod is deceptive. I could fill it with clothes, but if I do, I can't get into the closet. I'm certain the closet was designed as a storage space for out-of-season clothes, as there is a larger closet in my master bathroom. So, here is what my closet currently looks like:

As you can see in tall image at the left, the closet seems deep and there is a long clothes hanger pole to the right as you enter the closet.  A shorter pole is at the rear of the closet and it sits slightly higher than the long pole.  There are shelves above the poles and the closet is entered at an angle.  Yes, I said at an angle. To top it all off, the closet is behind the entrance to the bathroom. If my closet door is open, you can't open the door to the bathroom. The measurements of the closet are as follows: Back wall is 39" the left side wall is 42" and the Right side wall is 72".  The corner in the bottom photograph is where there is an 8" wide wall. This small wall is parallel to the 39" wall at the rear of the closet and this is where I hang my flip flops. At the rear of the closet, I have a black storage unit hanging from the pole that provides me with storage for scarves, polo shirts, jewelry box, handbags and dainty things.  You can see my shoes hanging in a matching black holder which fits over the door. Light is provided by a single, bare bulb with a pull string. Now that's class! You can understand why, at the moment, I spend as little time in this space as possible.

I've been working on a new design for several weeks. After a recent clear-out of the closet, I decided that I just couldn't stand how utterly inefficient the space is and that it's time to modernize. So here are a few details about the new design.

• The shelves, poles and laundry hamper are coming out.
• The walls will be painted pink (Olympic paint in Pleasing Pink, to be exact) with white trim.
• I've purchased a new closet organizing unit from Rubbermaid in Titanium that will fit along the back (39") wall.
• It will give me stacked hanging rods, 5 shelves and tons more space.
• I'm adding a 21"x 25" silver framed mirror over a 24" white hidden bracket shelf to hold perfume and a flower vase.
• The carpet will be replaced by 12.5" sq. ft. (or so) of natural cherry laminate flooring and lighting will be provided by a newly acquired and modified (adding a pull chain) pendent chandelier.
• The new space will also have a stool for shoe changing along with other great design features.

Here is a collage of some of the elements going into the new design:

Living in a house where I'm the only girl and I need a space I can call my own. Our house is perfect for us, but the only room I'm allowed to decorate with pink is my closet.  On July 2, 2013, we will celebrate 30 years in our home. This will be the first time I've ever painted anything pink and I can't wait! As soon as the closet is finished, I'll write a follow-up blog and provide complete photographs. Thanks for checking out the blog! See you soon!!