Egads, what a noise

The constant rumble of machinery smashing into concrete to tear up a street is starting to get on my nerves....just a bit mind you.

The city is upgrading the underground rainwater system. In other words, the river that runs next to my house when it rains will now run underground.

This is what's out my front door right now:


To fix this:

Seriously, no sewing getting done

Summer does take a toll on a person. Three kids in the house, the sunroom is too hot to sew in (no excuse today, it's cool) and I have a new hobby (losing weight.)

I did do my nails yesterday and it is such a pretty color. I'm still in shock much of the time that I've even grown out my nails. Now I don't need to spend much time at all taking care of my cuticles and such.

OPI Princess Rules

Why I'm not really sewing

You know how when you get a new hobby or interest (or pregnant...no, I'm not pregnant) you can't help but think of that thing and nothing else? I'm in that position right now as I decided a little over a week ago that I have no excuse for my weight, it's just from eating (drinking) too much and no exercise. So that sent me right back to www.sparkpeople.com where I've been a member for a couple years now. I've been good in tracking my calories and doing regular exercise.

Then in reading I discovered a tool I just have to have, and then the next morning went out and bought it. BTW, have I ever mentioned that I can be very compulsive.

Here's the tool, it's called a GoWearFit, and it's a monitor you wear on your arm and it records how many calories you burn during the day, and night (you can wear it to sleep.)

Here's a link to their website, www.gowearfit.com

This photo is not me, just one off of their site.

And a screen shot of my readings from yesterday, click it to see it in full size.


So that's where my mind has been. I've been reading everything I can online about the GoWearFit (BodyBugg is similar) and trying to get my mind wrapped around weightloss again, by reading all my favorite weightloss and exercise forums.

As for sewing, I've gotten 3 exercise shirts completed, and almost done with 2 black ones.

And my nails are clear.

Working on Tees

I bought a bunch of XL tees at Michaels on sale a bit ago, $2.50 each, with the intention of resewing them into smaller, better fitting exercise shirts.

I did one awhile back with the shirt I wear to the Roller Derby games (no, I don't play, I'm a fan....I'm asked all the time.)

Here's a photo of the before (pink shirt) and the after. I got one white one done yesterday, and want to work on three today.


And today's nails are Sinful Hottie. Sinful has a great line of inexpensive polishes you can get at Walgreens for $2.00 a bottle. It's a cheap way to find out if you like different colors, before investing in OPI or something more expensive.

Time to do something about it

No way around it, I'm fat. And I'm slowly getting tired of it. I keep trying to be accepting of my body....I don't hate my body. But this darn belly, and fatty armpits, and the fact that I can't polish my toenails. Time to stop my complaining and just start exercising and eating better. Nothing too intense.

The hubby dragged me back to the gym yesterday. I did 20 min on my favorite cardio machine, the Cybex Arc Trainer.

using my favorite exercise accessory, my Ipod Nano.


Then just a teenie tiny bit of weights, at teenie tiny weight (that was supposed to sound funny, guess it doesn't.) I have a neck/shoulder problem and am not supposed to lift anything, but the stretching portion feels good.

So I've started. I also have tried since yesterday to watch the food. In about an hour though I'm out to lunch with the KC Pinheads. And I won't munch on any of the other yummies that are brought.

Goals - I don't want to diet, just pay better attention to hunger and the quality of food. I do want to exercise, and will build that up slowly.

Initial weight goal is to lose 12 lbs. Then just go in 10 lb increments (maybe 5, who knows.) I will post a ticker later.

Wish me luck.

Making pants fit

So I posted photos of the fitting the KC Pinheads are working on, the pants that just weren't fitting right. The other day I decided to watch the PalmerPletsch pants fitting video, and that got me motivated to try that method.

I'm at what I think is a decent fitting tissue, I just haven't gone farther.

The pattern I'm using for the Palmer Pletsch method is McCalls 5672. I bought it for the cute dress/tunic, but I haven't even started on that.

What I've realized is that so many of the patterns I buy have pants included, and at $0.99 a pattern, heck, I'm going to start cutting them up and experimenting.



But today's plan is to go back and attempt the Cynthia Guffey method again. I will bring my first horrid muslin to our Saturday fitting party, and hopefully a better fitting one.

My plan on my second attempt is to use a 1" longer crotch depth, and not allow for ease in the crotch. Don't ask me why...it's just my plan.

For this attempt I'm using the pants from yet another pattern I have around, the tunic looked horrid on me, and I was about to toss it. I'm finally getting smart....save patterns for awhile at least.

It's Vogue 8503


I'll try to be good and take pics as I work, and of my muslins. Even though it's so embarrassing to be seen in such a state of disarray. I just want it to be perfect.

And today's nails are Essie Click it or ticket. All was good till I messed up the thumb in the shower, so I did my first nail art.

A big thanks to the followers

Wow, it's really cool to see that people actually follow your blog. That little "follow" feature is awesome, and blogs that I've been reading just in my normal google Reader RSS feed, I'm now slowly switching over to "blogs I follow."

So here's a big



Here's a cute photo of my cat, Lucius. He's notorious for hiding in different places. I always know when he's hiding, because one of my other cats, Narcissa, will go around meowing in this special voice. She's done it since she was a tiny kitten. It's her way of saying "Lucius, where are you?"

Oh, he's hiding inside the partially un-upholstered chair.