Your Whims Wednesday #186 {And Features}

Time for another Your Whims Wednesday Party!

Your Whims Wednesday

Here are some of my favorites from last week!
 
Pomegranate Sweet Rolls by A Dash of Sanity
Pomegranate Sweet Rolls
Thankful Wood Art by Blooming Homestead
Lovely thankful art by Blooming Homestead #diy #givethanks
 
DIY Glitter Carved Pumpkins by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom
Make your own Glitter Pumpkin craft with just a bit of paint, glitter and glue!
DIY Pumpkin Costume by Sew Can Do
 
Reclaimed Wood Bathroom Shelves by EDEA Smith
 
Thanks to all who linked up! Grab a button if you were featured :)
 
Featured on My Girlish Whims
 
Now... onto this weeks party!

I show off my girlish whims weekly on my blog, and now I want to see yours with 
Your Whims Wednesday!

Guidlines:
1. Link up as many projects as you would like: as long as it is one of your girly ways, you can link it! I'd love to see crafts, recipes, style posts, etc. Anything and everything feminine :)
2.Please add my button (code at the top of this post) to either your blog post or somewhere on your blog. 
3. Take a quick moment to comment on at least one other entry. We we all love comments!! 
4.I'd love if you would follow me as well :)


DIY Pink Crystal Fringe Necklace

I've been watching a lot of Project Runway lately. I mean, how can you NOT like the show: it has fashion, celebrates the DIY lifestyle, has catty drama and it's all topped off with a little Tim Gunn "make-it-work" mantra - it's just great.  They talk a lot on the show about how each designer has their own aesthetic and style and how important it is that each individual designer's style shows through in the pieces they make. This season they have an anonymous runway so the judges are not told who made what look before they walk the runway.  However, most times if the designers stick to their own style it's easy for the judges to see who made what look.

Well, my sewing skills are less than excellent but I can make some pretty jewelry! I feel like I definitely have my own jewelry making aesthetic and two BIG features of my style would include sparkle and pink! If you sent this necklace down a runway with jewelry made by the other Cousin ambassadors it would be very easy to tell that this was mine! I've seen a couple fringe necklaces popping up lately and I knew I wanted to try the style out with my own personal aesthetic so I grabbed some sparkles and set to work! Now that's it's done...where's my runway to show it off??? ;)

I am so in love with the end result of this necklace! It you want to give it a go, here's how you can make your own!

Supplies:

Steps:
First step is to string five coral crystals onto a head pin and create a simple loop on top.
 Next use needle nose pliers to attach an eye pin to the simple loop

String on five more crystals in the light pink color

Create another simple loop on top of this crystal set by bending the wire 90 degrees directly above the last bead using needle nose pliers

Trim off all but about a half inch tail of the wire using wire cutters

Grasp the end of the tail using round nose pliers and bend around into a loop. 

Use needle nose pliers to attach another eye pin onto this new simple loop and string on five smaller yellow crystals.  Create another simple loop at the top of the yellow crystals.

Repeat this process one more time for five more copper crystals

Keep going until you have beaded multiple crystal strands

Cut a piece of copper chain to necklace size and use needle nose pliers to attach a crystal strand to the center of the chain


Repeat this process until you have filled out the bib of your necklace

Attach a clasp and jump ring using needle nose pliers to the ends of the chain


After the clasp is on your necklace is done!

I can't wait to throw this necklace on with this little sweater shrug and some boots, it is the perfect accessory to jazz up an outfit for fall weather.

I love the mix of colors I used: some pink, some coral, some copper, but the fun thing about this necklace is that you can customize it to whatever your style is! You could even do a fun ombre effect with the colors!

Wearing this many crystals around your neck is SURE to draw some attention! I've never been afraid of attention though so I think I will wear it with confidence!
Do you have a signature jewelry making style? What colors and what type of beads would you like to try to make this necklace with??

Your Whims Wednesday #185 {And Features}

Time for another Your Whims Wednesday Party!

Your Whims Wednesday

Here are some of my favorites from last week!

  DIY Embellished Pumpkins by Blooming Homestead
These DIY Embellished Pumpkins are so easy and add such a touch of Spook to your halloween decor! #Halloween #decor #pumpkin
 
Simple DIY Halloween Drink Stirrers by Bit Square
DIY Halloween Drink Stirrers for Party
 
Simple Halloween Clay Jewelry by Our Peaceful Planet
clay.halloween.jewelry.newB
 
Crochet Monster Hat by Domestic Evolution
crochet monster hat
 
Fall Home Tour by New Mrs. Adventures
 
Thanks to all who linked up! Grab a button if you were featured :)
 
Featured on My Girlish Whims
 
Now... onto this weeks party!

I show off my girlish whims weekly on my blog, and now I want to see yours with 
Your Whims Wednesday!

Guidlines:
1. Link up as many projects as you would like: as long as it is one of your girly ways, you can link it! I'd love to see crafts, recipes, style posts, etc. Anything and everything feminine :)
2.Please add my button (code at the top of this post) to either your blog post or somewhere on your blog. 
3. Take a quick moment to comment on at least one other entry. We we all love comments!! 
4.I'd love if you would follow me as well :)


Reaching my First Weight Loss Goal

A little over 9 months ago now I decided I needed to get my butt in gear and get in shape.  At a  whooping 246 pounds, I knew I had a LOT of weight I needed to loose, but it was intimadating to count how many pounds I really would need to loose to get to a healthy weight.  So, I set a weight loss goal of 190 because (honestly) it was a comfortable distance away from 200.  Did I think I could do it? Lose 56 pounds? No. I really didn't think I could.


But somehow.... I did.  I took it day by day and stayed dedicated no matter how many times I screwed up. I finally stepped on the scale and saw 190! I'm down one more pound now as well for a total of 57 pounds lost since starting.  Whoo hoo!!!

So now that I meet my goal....am I done? Heck no!!!!  I'm really happy with my progress but I set that goal weight before I really knew what I was capable of.  When I first started I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I needed to lose over 50 pounds to make it to 190.  That is a huge number!!!! It didn't happen overnight but here I am now nine months later and I know all my efforts were so worth it. Now that I KNOW I am strong enough, I just have to keep pushing :)

Pictures are huge motivator for me. I love comparing events from one or two years ago with how I look today. 

Fitting into clothing different is so great too.  I bought these pants as "progress pants" after I lost my first 30 pounds.  They've been getting loose for awhile but finally last Friday I realized they were just about falling off of me know.  I guess I'll just have to go shopping for some new ones :)
Also, this shirt used to fit??? Now I could fit a 6 month baby bump in there! Note: there is no baby bump in there nor do I desire a baby bump in there yet hah.

So what IS my next goat? I don't really know yet.  I think I'll just take things in stages.  I'd like to make it to 175. I'd like to weigh less than my husband for once in my life (around 165) and I'd kinda like to wear a bikini for the first time in my life next summer too.  We'll see how things go ;)

Unrealated to scale numbers though, I really am loving living a more fit life.  I'm kind of sort of actually semi enjoying running now.  GASP. Did I say that? Hubby and I felt crappy on Sunday morning last weekend and so we napped and layed around the house all morning until about 2PM when I felt better.  At that point I thought about just going on with my day, but I went for a quick run outside instead.  The fall air was cool, I kept a really steady pace and I actually ENJOYED myself.  I felt 100x better about moving on with my day then too knowing I at least got a little exercise in for the day. That is something I NEVER would have done before starting this journey.  I would use any excuse to get out of exercise. Now I still have excuses, I just work around them :)

This month I also got a fitbit! My work is hosting a fall fitness challenege based off of step count so I've rallied up a team to participate.  The first night I wore it I really wanted to get to 10,000 steps (the daily goal) and so I walked around in circles in my living room and did jumping jacks while watching Scandal until it buzzed telling me I met my goal.  Hah! It's a fun little motivator.  If you have a fitbit account leave your email in the comments and I'll add you as a friend!!

New Glasses from Firmoo

I've finally revved up my glasses fashion! I feel like I'm always a couple trends behind with my glasses...probably because I so rarely replace them since I mostly wear them on nights and weekends only. Getting new glasses with every new eye perscription I received used to be way too expsnesive...until I discovered  Firmoo!


Firmoo has so many fashionable glasses styles at really great prices.  Their website is also really easy to work with; I picked out these frames in black and got to "try them on" virtually before ordering them. They also feature real people wearing the glasses which helped me get a better idea of the scale of the glass on real people's faces!.


Now if I ever want to give my eyeballs a break during the week I won't have to be super embarrased to wear my old lame-o frames into work.  All up to speed in the style department now :)

This post is sponsored by Firmoo but all opinions are my own.

Your Whims Wednesday #184 {And Features}

Time for another Your Whims Wednesday Party!

Your Whims Wednesday

Here are some of my favorites from last week!
Halloween Mantle by Blooming Homestead
halloween mantle by Blooming Homestead copy
 
DIY Toddler Mushroom Costume by Caseperlatesta
little mushroom
 
Transitioning Summer Clothes to all Seasons by No Small Life
IMG_5738
 
DIY Industrial Entertainment Center by Young and Crafty Sisters
industrial entertainment center 3
 
White Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies by The Love Nerds
 White Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies - Best Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies and all made with very little butter! {The Love Nerds} #cookierecipe #recipe #pumpkinrecipe #dessert
 
Thanks to all who linked up! Grab a button if you were featured :)
 
Featured on My Girlish Whims
 
Now... onto this weeks party!

I show off my girlish whims weekly on my blog, and now I want to see yours with 
Your Whims Wednesday!

Guidlines:
1. Link up as many projects as you would like: as long as it is one of your girly ways, you can link it! I'd love to see crafts, recipes, style posts, etc. Anything and everything feminine :)
2.Please add my button (code at the top of this post) to either your blog post or somewhere on your blog. 
3. Take a quick moment to comment on at least one other entry. We we all love comments!! 
4.I'd love if you would follow me as well :)