Hi! Thanks for ordering meals from me this week! Based on your plan you got either 1, 2 or 3 of the following meals. Many of you are doing Project X so your meals are measured out, others I measured our or eyeballed what I think would be a good fit based on what I know about you and your goals. There is a protein, carb and fat (macros) for each meal.
Each meal is made with the cleanest ingredients and a whole lotta love 🙂 Quick favor…If you could send me a pic of your meals stacked up or your favorite meal I would like that very much (here is your permission to take a food selfie). Just a reminder of the new schedule/system:
By Tuesday at noon let me know if you want meals for the following week.
By Thursday at noon have your containers, soft sided ice chest and ice packs on my desk.
Friday, meals will be on my desk for pick up!
Payments via Venmo (@KarenPierce) on Friday when you pick up your food!
As you might have read from my previous blog post, I’m the proud owner of a Cricut Explore Air Wireless Cutting Machine…and I LOVE it. It doesn’t sit in the corner and collect dust, it gets used A LOT and I’m constantly buying new accessories for it.  THIS post is really just a way for me to brag on my machine. This holiday I made over 100 different monogram-ish styles for a variety of things. Most of these went to my bestie in AR, but a lot of them went to my clients/athletes. It tickles me pink (what did you expect me to say…I’m a southern crafter) that they USE the gifts I made for them on the regular. The slide show shows just a few of the final products, but I’m super proud of how well my machine did with the amount of time I had it running. I got a cute little stand to hold my camera so I’ll do a video on what its like from start to finish for one of these stickers. Until then, check out what I did! PS, this one below was my most challenging one, but it might be my favorite…
About one weekend a year my parents come up for what I’m now calling “work weekend” and they help me with a zillion things around my house. Last year it was laying wood floors (okay, that was 2 different weekends), year before that it was replacing all the vanities in my bathrooms, year before that was building the deck in July and adding the roof in December….can you see a pattern? This year, the main agenda for “work weekend” was putting electricity on my deck, but we didn’t stop there we took my deck from a cute patio to an out door room with a great view and I couldn’t be happier.
My parents are UBER talented and like DIY as much as I do, so yes I do know how BLESSED I am to have them as parents and be willing to help me out. They tolerate my spastic working habits and are always up for anything. During this weekend not only do we DIY, but we laugh over stupid stuff, we dine, we drink, we sometimes argue, but projects always look amazing. 99% of the time things get done and sometimes I’m left to do little things, but we are always starting a list for “next time”.
Last weekend we accomplished:
Installed 5 new outlets on the deck. 2 off the house, 2 off the lower part of the deck and 1 up high on a beam of the deck (all outlets are covered). This was more complicated than I thought. We drilled through the inside of the house to pull off a close outlet. We then took 2 boards off the deck and ran the wire through this blue tube and attached it to some frames of the deck to keep it off the ground. Then replaced the boards so you don’t see the wiring. It was rough..totally worth it, but the hardest part of the whole thing.Â
Installed an outdoor fan. We had to add a board to hold the fan and some box thingy and then hide the wires.Â
Installed a flood light for the backyard…well wired for one because the one I ordered came shattered so I ordered a new one and it is currently sitting on my dining table since I don’t dare mess with electricity by myself. Parents will be back at the end of July to install that light.
Added 3 switches. 1 works the fan, one works the christmas lights (and soon car lot lights), and one will work the spot light.Â
I got new patio furniture…a tall bar table with 2 bar height chairs and 2 low “conversation chairs” with a cute little red (duh) table between them so if people wanted to chat they can. If I want to work/eat outside at a table I can…which is where I’m writing this blog now. I also purchased 4 plastic adirondack chairs should I need them in the future for more seating.Â
Mom painted the skeleton of a chandelier bright red and hung it from a tree and put 2 of my adirondack chairs under it, along with one of my whiskey barrels by it. It looks FANTASTIC! Mom also painted a cross for me to hang up outside.Â
Built and installed “galvanized pipe no sew drop cloth curtains” These really help to make it an outdoor room. I can close them or push them to the sides. Most of the time they stay parted.Â
Hung Lou’s hammock chair from a tree and added “whirly art” next to it (looks better than it sounds).
Garage: Hung 2 white boards and stall bars (I’ll write a different story on that…grrr). I also added 3 hooks to hang gym stuff (jump rope, bags, etc). IÂ hung a few utility hangers in the garage for stuff like limb cutter and pole saw, etc then one for the broom. I now have access to a lot of things in the garage and it doesn’t look so cluttered.Â
Hung a nice white board in my office (bigger deal that you think). This heavy a** board had to be screwed into the studs. It also was sitting in my garage for months now it isn’t 🙂Â
Daddy built AND installed a light in my craft room so I now have light (on a toggle switch) in there which is great! (More crafting!)Â
I added plate covers where some wires were hanging from the ceiling. (Yes they have been there since I bought my house in 2010 and it took me 5 mins and $1.12 to fix them…better late than never)
Last day we ate pizza and personalized the yetis with the cricut 🙂Â
WHATS TO COME:
I bought stuff to clean and seal my deck…mucho needed!
I will be painting my adirondack chairs and chester drawers with new red paint.
FIRE PIT area…already have the car lot lights that will hang over it. (S’mores anyone?)
I need to fix the “art” that is on the back patio…my best friend Kim and I made that one weekend.
Grass. Don’t get me started.
Here are some “Before and After” style photos from the weekend as well as in the past. Thanks Bird for helping…we couldn’t have done it without you either….
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but this is a product I highly recommend and use A LOT!Â
After receiving a personalized shaker bottle as a gift for regionals, I was on a mission to get a cricut. I wasn’t even sure what it was, but when I found out how she personalized the bottles, “My friend has a cricut”, said Kelley, I automatically knew what it was and that I HAD to have it. I started pricing around (Amazon, Michaels, etc)….and I told mom I HAD to have one. I kid you not, they went on sale at Joanne’s fabric a week later…it was a sign. SOOOO I went and purchased a Cricut Explore Air Wireless Cutting Machine.Â
For those of you that don’t know, a Cricut is a DIYer’s (is that a thing?) dream! This machine will not only allow me to monogram EVERYTHING, but I can make awesome cards to send to people…like the machine will make the card envelope and address it (how about them apples). This thing will cut darn near anything…paper, card stock, vinyl (stickers for daaaaays), fabric, leather. You can program it to do so many crafters…I’m in love! Below are just a few things I have done (minus the Karhu Logo shaker bottle…but I can now):
If you are thinking about getting one of these awesome machines, here are some tips from a beginner:
There is ALOT on youtube, and pinterest that can help you.
Etsy has cute stuff….really cut stuff.
Purchase stuff via Amazon, its cheaper. Craft stores (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Joanne’s) all offer those 40% off coupons, but they cannot be applied to Cricut products, trust me I have tried.
Michaels has better cricut accessories and they have their own line of vinyls (sticker stuff), which you CAN use a 40% off coupon on.
Purchase extra cutting mats. Mine came with a 12×12 mat, but you are going to want more, projects go faster. I have 3 12×12 mats…yes they hang in my craft room.
Purchase color pens. Mine came with a medium tip 1.0 but I like the 0.03 tip for addressing envelopes. I did just order a packet of black ones off amazon that has a variety of tips. Stay tuned!
Order a Scoring Stylist…just do it, especially if you are going to be making cards.
Order a Tool Crafter Basic Set. I use the scraper and the pick looking thing on almost all projects. If you try to order them separate it will cost more.
If you get past all my excitement for CrossFit and/or come to my casa you will quickly learn that I am a true southern belle & I LOOOOOOOVE DIY “stuff”…this is why I now have a Cricut Explore Air (monogram all the things!!!)…and a craft room. While scrolling The Book this morning, an article title “WTF Is A Bullet Journal and Why You Should Start One” caught my attention not to mention it was posted by Buzzfeed DIY. I would recommend you read the article BUT for the quicker version, this pic explains it all:
To Do List?!?! Planner?!?!? You are speaking my language (insert all the heart emojis here). I then took this “bullet journal” idea over to pinterest to see if it is really a thing, and it is. Well after reading the article I realized this could get really complicated AND with the personal moto/mantra of #KeepItSimple I decided just to start some where. So I pulled out a journal that I have been waiting to use on something special (thank you Greg & Morgan) and created a personalized templet…I will also be monograming the journal later in gold sparkly, incase you were wondering because I know you are. The article suggest you use a “key” well I’m going to play with somethings before I write a “key” to understand it. PLUS it is MY journal, who cares if others can understand or read it..it only has to make some sense to me. I have some things I want to focus on and identify. It is June 1st and the PERFECT time to start…wont you join me? PS Bic Mark-It Fine Point Permanent Markers bleed through pages. I’ll be switching to Papermate Flair
Thanks Bird for helping…we couldn’t have done it without you either….
So I pulled out a journal that I have been waiting to use on something special (thank you Greg & Morgan) and created a personalized templet…I will also be monograming the journal later in gold sparkly, incase you were wondering because I know you are. The article suggest you use a “key” well I’m going to play with somethings before I write a “key” to understand it. PLUS it is MY journal, who cares if others can understand or read it..it only has to make some sense to me. I have some things I want to focus on and identify. It is June 1st and the PERFECT time to start…wont you join me? PS Bic Mark-It Fine Point Permanent Markers bleed through pages. I’ll be switching to Papermate Flair
