okc memorial marathon 2010, here i come!

Yes, I know it's March already, but better late than never, right? So much has happened since I've posted last, so I'll just jump into the updates!

So everyone knows that I've been struggling with my weight and being more active for the past few years, so a couple of months ago a friend of mine told me that she was going to be running the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon this year and that I should consider doing it. I think I actually laughed at her. Seriously. She said she was going to be doing the half, which is 13.1 miles. Yep, 13.1 miles. I was thinking, "I don't run. I don't jog. I don't like to go for a walk unless it's sunny and perfect outside. How on earth will this body be able to get through that distance in a couple of months?!" (The marathon is on April 25th, by the way). I haven't run since high school, I hated it then, and that was when I was in the best shape of my life! That was the day that started me thinking about how sick of being unhappy with how I look I was and how this would be something that I accomplished on my own, that no one could do or finish for me, and not one bad thing could come out of doing it. I kept thinking about it and started talking to friends who run and have run marathons and 5K races and decided that I wanted to fit into that group of people. I could finally become the person who says "I'm going to go for a run" and actually be able to do it and enjoy it. I would lose weight, get healthier on the inside, and be proud of something that I actually finished, and other people would be proud of me too. I finally decided that I was going to try it, and it's been a roller coaster ever since. I say 'ever since' like it was years ago, but to me it really does feel like the past month and a half has been forever!

That next weekend, Chris and I went to get shoes, and I started telling people that I was going to be participating in the race. I figured that once I told people I was doing it, there wasn't any way I could back out! I was kind of surprised about the reactions I received, but I guess when you don't work out or anything and have let yourself go, not everyone is going to be 100% behind you. Participating in a half isn't any easy task. All of my friends (especially the ones who run!) were, and have been, extremely supportive and excited for me, and I think the people who care about me can see how big of a deal this is for me to do. Some people were skeptical, and honestly, I think a lot of people were negative about it because of my weight. I got a lot of, "You really should think about injuries and being safe," and "That's a long way for someone who hasn't been training already," but I'm not expecting to run this thing, I just want to finish. My friend who will be with me on race day keeps reminding me of that, so I keep saying it out loud. Here are my first official pair of running shoes!


So I started running. Well, more like jogging. Kind of. Mac goes with us and at the speed I'm going, his little 5 inch long legs keep up at a fast walking pace. Sad, I know. In the first week I went every day, and I could see differences in my breathing, and I seemed like I could go just a little longer without walking each day. I even lost weight! Then my legs started hurting. My shins literally hurt to the touch, and every impact on the pavement was like torture. I talked to just about everyone I know (yes, I know I was/am driving people crazy with running talk...) and came to the conclusion that it might be my shoes, and that I needed to get re-fit. So here are pair of shoes #2.


I just got them last weekend, so I'm hoping that in the next few runs I will start to feel a difference. My legs still hurt really badly, but I think it's from my body being out of shape more than anything. Or else I hope so. Yesterday's run wasn't a good one. I cried for the first time because I am so frustrated with my lack of progress and I just want to see something good happen soon. I know I just have to keep doing it, and I am proud of myself for not just giving up by now.

Something that I don't think a lot of people realize is that this isn't just a physical victory for me, it's also a psychological one. I've really realized lately that I am terrified of failing. At anything and everything. My sewing machine scares me. I collect pieces of projects and am afraid that if I start them and they don't go the way I want them to, I won't be able to fix them. So I don't start a lot of things. I give up way too easily, and doing this race won't allow me to give up. I want to say that I did this half, not we, and it's something that I can have as my own. Because no one else can do it for me, and though I will have a lot of support from friends and family, I am ultimately the one that has to get myself through it. I will be thanking everyone like crazy for helping me through this, and I'm sure I'm not the only one counting down the days until it's here - my obsession with this is probably driving everyone I talk to insane :) Here's to battling that inner wall holding us all back in some way, and may we all learn to overcome it and be proud of what we can accomplish!

table: from junk to painted glory. maybe. part one.

Hi again! So this is an ongoing project that I had hoped would be a weekend quickie, but it is proving to be a little more difficult than I had originally hoped. I found this table in a warehouse (a.k.a. FREE!) and thought it had a lot of potential! I haven't ever had to strip paint before, so here's my experience... so far.

To start this project, you'll need:

Paint stripper

Gloves (preferably some made for stripping paint)

Firm scraper

Bucket (that you don't mind throwing away)

Dropcloth

This table started off with a few layers of dirty white paint that had chipped and peeled, so that was the first thing that had to go. Here's what the table looked like after a light scraping (no stripper applied yet).

I went to Ace and opted for some low-fume spray paint stripper instead of the liquid paint-on kind, hoping it would be less messy (and less stinky). The kind I got happened to be orange, so I could see where I had sprayed and where I needed to spray more, and it actually worked pretty well. The only problem with this particular spray stripper is that I could only get what you see in this picture sprayed down before I emptied the can. You want to get a pretty thick layer of stripper down, so I figured I'd do what I could and worry about the rest later. Here's the table right after the first spray...

The instructions on the can said to let the stripper sit for about 30 minutes, so after a half hour, I went out to see if it had done its job. The paint was literally falling off the legs! I was pretty surprised that it would work in 30 minutes, so I thought the rest of the job would be easy.

I bought a firm scraper (you can find these in the paint sections at any home improvement store) and went to town! (TIP: Don't forget to wear gloves and yucky clothes - I didn't do either, and ended up with irritated fingertips and a new crappy t-shirt!!)

So this is where it starts to get messy. The stripper did such a good job that it literally liquified the paint, and that combined with the residual stripping chemical made a nasty brown goo that I ended up scraping off instead. It was kind of hard to get the goo into the bucket and I ended up dripping it all over the patio, so make sure you use a dropcloth when you do it! This is what the paint-goo looks like:

After I got to this point, I went back to Ace and bought the liquid stripper (the spray is a lot more expensive than the liquid) and a paint brush, and empty paint cans to hold the liquid after I was done.

Unfortunately, the liquid stripper didn't work as well as the spray.... So after waiting the recommended 30 minutes after application and not being able to scrape much of anything off, I quit. Don't judge - it was cold outside! I also thought that after a night outside, the residual goo on the table that I couldn't get off with the scraper would dry and I could sand it off, but that is not what happened. I read you are supposed to use mineral spirits to get the nasty off, but I haven't tried it yet, because it's been so cold outside, and honestly, I haven't wanted to go near the table. The goo in the bucket (after a week) was still in goo form, so it went buh-bye in last Monday's trash pickup. I think I might go at it with an orbital sander and see what happens, because I really would like to not have to deal with caustic chemicals that don't really work again. Plus, using the sander is so much fun! I also hope the sander can get through the laminate stuff that is under the nasty paint. I want to strip the rest of the table this weekend (or soon...) and get it ready for my adventures in painting, but Christmas projects might take over instead. Pictures to come (and more tips of what NOT to do :))! Have a great Friday!

creativity sometimes takes over

I don't know if it is the holiday season that has recently put me into creative overload, but whatever it is, my mind is overflowing with ideas, and this weekend was no exception to starting new projects. I would like to blame Chris too, because he introduced me to Google Reader, which now takes up a huge chunk of my evening relaxation time :). I have found so many amazing blogs with tutorials, pictures, ideas, and so much inspiration to start creating that I don't know how to stop the wheels in my head from spinning out of control! I did a few projects this weekend, and I'm glad to say that one of them actually put my sewing machine back into use.

My first project that I finished (finally, a few months after actually starting...) was my living room pillows! They were really really ugly, and unfortunately I didn't take

pictures to document the level of ugliness that these pillows embodied. Ugh. Anyways, I found this perfect paisley pattern and fringe that matched the couch perfectly, and added the splash of color the room needed. Of course, they don't all sit on the couch like this, and the fringe isn't shiny in person, but it's nighttime and the lighting is less than desirable for taking pictures. And, please, don't judge the ugly green carpet - after Mac is house-trained and we are done treading grout and paint throughout the house, we will be replacing it :)

I also had the privilege of going with a few friends to salvage some things from a building that was going to be demo-ed, and found some amazing things. Chris was an amazing husband and unscrewed probably about 50 doorknobs and plates, and helped me dismantle every single one so I can use them for my projects. I don't have pictures of all of my finds, but this is ONE of the drawers full of hardware:

I plan on painting most of them (I'm not a huge fan of brass...) and using them as art pieces. I think Chris is glad that I don't plan on using any of them on actual doors in the house!

I also started another project, but it is a work in progress, so once I get it completed (or more completed...) I'll start that post. I'll give you a hint about what it is: It includes paint stripper, orange rubber gloves, and lots and lots of patience. Oh yeah, and a really nasty-looking-yet-has-big-potential-for-something-cute table I found :) Happy Almost Turkey Day!

ambitious thoughts of the day

Wow! It's already the middle of November! Where has the time gone? I can't believe 2009 is almost over and that it's about to be Christmas again! With the upcoming gift-giving holiday approaching, I've been thinking a lot about pieces I want to create, but also things that I would like to learn how to do, or things I would like to become better at doing. Since both lists are infinitely never-ending, I thought I'd write down a few of the things I would like to learn how to do in the future. I guess all the work on the house has also inspired me to learn new things, so though some of the items on my list seem completely random, I promise, there's a source for the thought!

1. Learn about Photoshop and Lightroom. There are so many ways having the basic knowledge of these programs could open up my creative world and make some of our pictures of life even more spectacular!

2. Learn how to cook one dish that people request at get-togethers. Most people know that I don't cook at this point in my life, but I would love to have one thing that people really like that I know that I make really well. I'm thinking something that people ask to borrow the recipe for because they want to make it too... Wishful thinking, I know :)

3. Purchase, then master the scroll saw. Hello?! Infinite possibilities knocking!!

4. Be able to cook an entire (real) meal by myself. No help from Chris whatsoever. Let him be my cheerleader in the kitchen for once!

5. Be able to go for a run and actually enjoy it.

6. Learn how to use our awesome camera so I can make what I see with my eyes something I can frame and share with the world.

7. To make my computer and the internet tools that will make my life better, instead of something that kind of intimidates me!

8. Become focused enough to follow through with my home projects without becoming distracted by a new thought or creative project. (I now have a dresser, 2 tables, a mirror, and a chandelier that needs refinishing!)

9. Learn how to turn my electronic creativity into something I am happy with. My blog is a little too plain for my taste, and I hope to have a personally-designed website of my own one day!

There are too many moments in my life that I wish I could capture and share with people somehow, and I'm hoping if I can accomplish a few things on my list, if anything, my dream of becoming more independent will be that much closer to coming true and I can share more of my creativity with the world!

Happy Monday, everyone!

movies, football, and puppies

Happy Sunday! I mean, Sundays aren't really my favorite day of the week, but at lest the sun is out! Chris and I had a good weekend - we rented a couple of movies and watched the OU game (even though we lost...) Saturday, and today he was busy getting packed up to go to California.

We rented The Proposal and Monsters vs. Aliens and they were both great! I'm pretty confident that any movie that Dreamworks makes is going to be a good one, and once again, we were not disappointed. If you are looking for something to entertain you without having to think too hard, this is a great movie to rent! We also watched The Proposal on Friday night, and I was really glad we finally got the chance to see it. I had been wanting to see this pretty much ever since it came out in theaters, and it was available, so I snatched it up! Sandra Bullock is really a great actress, and it was funny and entertaining and had a really good story, all rolled up into one. I'm glad, because usually movies that have a story like that aren't necessarily that funny. I think Chris enjoyed it too, which was a nice bonus - I hate feeling like he's watching a movie just because I want to, and it's nice to see him getting a laugh every once in a while :).

In other news... Yes, the Sooners lost... Chris, Mac, and I went down to Norman to our friend's house and watched the game and let the dog play all day. It turned out to be a pretty good game! I was scared that we were going to get our butts kicked, but we held our own! I think that we could have won the game with no problem, but someone has to lose, and unfortunately yesterday it was us. At least it was a good game to watch! An added bonus was that the dog played all day and was so tired by the time we left, he slept all night and gave us a little break.

Speaking of the dog, he is doing ok, but he's still not quite getting the whole peeing in one place thing. I only have two complaints about him right now that I wish I could snap my fingers and fix in an instant: the constant biting, and the partial pee-pad usage. I feel like I'm doing something wrong because he's not getting better by leaps and bounds, but I need to remember that he is a puppy, and that he's not going to learn anything in a day, or even a week. The biting part is the thing that is the most frustrating to me - you can barely pick him up because he wants to play all the time and biting is part of his playing. We have started watching The Dog Whisperer and hopefully we can learn something from his shows. All of the ones we've seen are about older dogs who need rehabilitation, as Cesar calls it, and he makes it look so easy! I'm hoping that at least if Mac grows up to be anything less than what we want him to be, we can learn something from these episodes that might help us shape him into a good dog. Chris keeps telling me it's just because he's a puppy, and I really really hope he's right! I can't wait to see what kind of dog he is going to turn into!

Well this week is going to be interesting for me, as Chris is on his way to California and I have both pets and the task of getting ready for Chicago next week. There are a lot of things I want to finish this week, so we'll see what happens. Hopefully Thursday comes quickly! I miss Chris already! When I get my projects done, I will be posting again, and hopefully those posts come sooner than later :) Have a great week everyone!

boomer sooner!

It's that time of year again... OU/TX weekend!! Though we will be staying at home, we will be screaming Sooner pride on the inside :). I hope that everyone that is going to Dallas this weekend will be safe, and hopefully our boys can kick some burnt orange butt this year!

A big reason why we are staying home is because we are still working on the house, and this weekend's project is our third bedroom. This room is our future nursery, and our current office. It had turned into Chris' computer room/junk room, and we are both so looking forward to finishing it once and for all! We were planning on going to Dallas next weekend to get new desks and shelving, but we are going to have to put it off until a different weekend because I am going to Chicago for a week to be with my family.

Well I hope that everyone has a great weekend, no matter who you root for, but know that at our house, we will be singing "BOOMER SOONER" and wearing our crimson and cream proudly!! Oh, and I forgot to say one thing: "TEXAS SUCKS!!"

busy, busy, busy, busy....

So I know it has been forever, but we have been so busy lately that I haven't had much time to actually sit down and write! Most of the work we have been doing has been on the house, and I can't believe how different it looks!

I am really, really proud of Chris and all that he knows how to do, and I can't believe this is our house anymore! We repainted the living room, hallway, and entryway, added crown moulding to the master bathroom and everywhere but the kitchen and bedrooms, put in new lighting in the hall and entry, added a new ceiling fan in the living room, new baseboards everywhere, added new doors and hardware in the whole house, painted all of the trim white, bought new living room furniture, and..... I think that's it! Oh, wait - we also finished the backyard/patio area. We did all of this in just over a month. Of course, we have a lot more to do, but what we've accomplished in the past few weeks has made the house look like new, instead of like we were living in the 60's.

In addition to all of the work on the house, I've been also working like crazy on getting my business started. I had been trying to decide on a name for the longest time, and it took Chris all of 5 minutes to come up with the name I decided on: Du Coeur. It means 'From the Heart', and it couldn't be more perfect! I've also set up a business email address, so if anyone wants to order anything or ask questions, email me at ducoeurdesigns@gmail.com. I am so excited to get more established, and I also can't wait for my first official order to come in!

Well I think after all of the work we did this weekend, I am pooped and need to just relax. I will hopefully be updating more often from now on, and I can't wait to share more of what's been going on in our lives! Have a great week, everyone!