What Makes You Happy?

The other day I was trying to think of when I was happiest- and I realized it was when I put my health as my top priority. Not work, not school, nothing but my health. I was working out regularly and I was on top of my "diet" (I mean that as in what I ate, not calories counted etc). I was just all around HAPPY! It was such a joy to be on top of my health and finally crush all the naysayers and the food "addiction" (sweet tea, chickfila breakfast biscuits, yogli mogli... no dramatic addiction but in all honesty- the addiction that would make me get out of bed at 1 am and grab some ice cream and hostess rolls....) I was happy and a mere by product of me being on top of my health was the weight loss. The most important part was how I felt- how I looked in my skinny jeans was just a plus.

and naturally, in the months I give up my health and let it take a backseat- oh, surprise- there aren't many pictures of me anywhere ha. But lots of pictures of my BAD food. As though it's something to be proud of...

SOOOOO. All that being said... On October 28 my gym is hosting a paleo challenge... and it's actually the SAME challenge I did two years ago and lost all the weight for the wedding (I took the one month and did it for longer of course... but you know what I mean).


I'm excited to do this because my migraines have returned (the ones that vanished with Whole30), and after working out almost every day...(i'll explain later) I realized that abs are truly made in the kitchen... and I'm not seeing results as great as I was when I was paleo + gym. PLUS... I miss all the energy! I can't wait. I am only blogging because I want to be held accountable. From here on out, I don't want to post instagram food cheats or anything... It's all about accountability. Also, there's nothing for me to worry about since it ends on Thanksgiving. The 30 day challenge begins in 8 days and I wanted to post in case anyone else wanted to join in- I am giving myself a week to meal plan and prepare loads of my tried and trued recipes since the biggest set back is "fail to plan, plan to fail"... I want NO excuses for the challenge. If y'all have any good recipes that you love let me know! I have a paleo pinterest board I'll be going back through as well.


It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. I love hitting the restart button on my body every now and then. But it is a LOT easier than Whole30 haha.

True story. I have been known to eat an entire bag of Entenmann's powdered donuts in one sitting.

If you want to start this challenge with me I would love it! If you do, I highly suggest starting with MEASUREMENTS and PICTURES! and yes, weigh yourself on day 1 and day 30 and THAT IS IT! (DON'T FORGET THE ANTI-SCALE MOVEMENT!)

Anthro had a sale Saturday and I bought some AMAZING Mother jeans that are one size too small... I tried them and they didn't button and I said, "I'm one paleo challenge away... I think I'll get them." So, that's my motivation. The jeans and this awesome dress that I can't even zip. Yet. :)

So, what are you waiting for?! Let's do this!!!!!!! If you have any questions I bet you I have googled it/read a blog post about it and can help shine some light- I'm no expert but I can probably help a little. Also, for reference: our gym is using this link as guidance. Ignore the point system and just go down to the explanation of what is or isn't paleo. I also hope to utilize the "tag" feature of the blog and just have y'all click on paleo or paleo recipes for quick references. Hope I can help in any way, I know I will do better if I just have some accountability!

The Anti-Scale Movement

I have a feeling since I am so passionate about this, this post might actually turn into a series... So, hang in there! I have so many followers/friends/strangers/etc ask me about health & fitness related questions I usually write a blog post after the 15th request/question. It's obviously something more than one person deals with- so why not.

I am obviously not an expert/pro at anything so, whatever I say is just based on my OWN experiences and my own research. Feel free to do your own after reading this!

I know I briefly addressed the muscle compared to fat concept here, but I have to focus on this for a minute.

While I was in the hustle and bustle of losing weight for my wedding, I was consumed with numbers. The wrong kind of number obsession... I was obsessed with seeing the numbers on the scale to go down. I ate great and worked out more in one month than I had in my entire life, at the rate I was going, I was risking being invisible by my wedding... if only it worked that way.

Like I mentioned before, the first month before I started paleo, the only change I did in my entire diet for the month was substituting any liquid with water, making sure I drank my daily requirement, and quit dairy. So, in one month of no sweet tea, milk, cheese, or yogurt- I lost 12 lb. Talk about a "wow" factor. I was so excited. It was the best feeling to see the scale go down. It was habit: wake up, weigh myself, jog, shower, get dressed, go to work. repeat. I was constantly texting my family, "one lb down!!! whoohoo!!! five down! ten down!" etc... AND THEN.

I started working out. So, I went from just cardio to actual weight lifting in the mix. I was toning up and making the deadly mistake of weighing myself every morning. Three weeks in, feeling incredible and toned up, I almost had a nervous break down when I looked down to see the scale laugh at me and actually show an extra 2 lb. WHAT?! what is going on. 4x a week gym. paleo. some cardio. why am I getting "bigger?!"

Ok, here's where the revelation took place. I looked in the mirror, expecting to see this "fat" person I was convinced the extra 2lb turned me into... only to my surprise, I liked what I saw. In fact, I was content. I saw my legs in my shorts (that I only wore in my house! no self confidence YET), and said, "maybe in a few months I COULD wear these out!"

ANNNNNNNDDD that's when the Anti-Scale Movement (ASM) happened. In that moment. I tore my entire house apart looking for a tape measure. Determined to use a different set of numbers. I remember searching a solid two hours for one when I finally gave up and used a string of yarn I had. I took one strand, wrapped it around my belly and cut it. Put it aside. Then I did the same for my arms and thighs. Every month, I measured myself with the same pieces of yarn on the 17th, and would shriek with excitement seeing how much I would take it in! (I ended up getting a tape measure and would measure the excess string from the first month to wherever I was).

Along with the tape measure/yarn method, I did the following:

-I put on a pair of shorts that fit me perfectly and a t-shirt that was kind of snug on my love handles, but didn't look like I was wearing my nieces. I took a selfie of me in the outfit.

-I dusted off a pair of old college jeans that were too tight, but I held onto for over 5 years as a "one-day" goal. You bet I wiggled in. My first selfie of me in them had them at my thighs. It's ok, I took the picture anyway.

-I put on a bikini. This one was the hardest, but by far the most motivating. I saw all my imperfections magnified in front of me. You know I locked the door when taking these. God forbid anyone walk in and subject themselves to such horrific images.

On the 17th of every month after my yarn measurements, I slipped into the above 3 picture outfits. and took the same picture, in the same pose- and compared them month to month. The first two months, I had to do a side by side to see any difference. By month 3, the shorts were so loose, as was the t-shirt, and the college jeans were going up (not zipping yet... but up my hips). Month 6, I screamed with joy because I couldn't even get away with wearing my college "goal" dreams because they were too big!!!! I couldn't even believe it....

AND THEN, the devil said, c'mon- get on that scale! Let's see all your hard work!

3 months into diet and exercise, I lost 4 pant sizes, 8" all over, and still weighed the same as I did when I first started. Thank God I could see my body changing and realize the scale was the DUMBEST way to measure weight loss!!!

9 months into diet and exercise, I lost a total of 8 (!!!!) pant sizes and was faced with daily accusations of starving myself or bulimia. I loved knowing that I looked so much thinner and could PROVE to these people that it was definitely done the healthy way, because I could hop on a scale and easily weigh 30lb more than them (or what they THOUGHT I weighed!) I had muscle mass, I was lean because of my muscle. The irony? I weighed the exact same as day one of my journey.

From July 2011- October 2011 (3 months) : With a combination of paleo and cardio: I lost the majority of my weight. Around 35 lbs. While I weighed less, I was flabby and still had muffin top/extra weight/bloated face etc.

From October 2011- March of 2012 (5 months), I weighed the EXACT SAME, but managed to shrink from a 10/12 to a 4/6. Even wearing Old Navy size 2. I know they run big, but, I still had a pair of size 12 shorts from there. I was elated. This was due to that crazy amounts of weight lifting I had added, which made me burn more calories while resting. So even if I wasn't in the gym, I was getting fit. It's weird. I don't get it. But trainers do, ask one you know!

Everyone thinks I was "so tiny" for my wedding... but as embarrassing as it is to admit, if it helps you guys join the ASM I will tell you the numbers.... UGH I never thought I would do this. I was a size 4 on my wedding day, and weighed 147. That was a farrrrr goal from my original "goal" of weighing 130 for it!  Goals Schmoals.... I had my dress taken in 5 times. The seamstress was getting mad at me, but I couldn't help it. I wasn't TRYING to lose weight anymore, I was just maintaining my fitness, and the irony is she kept saying, "STOP LOSING WEIGHT" and i wanted to laugh and say I'M NOT!



So, for 5 months, I weighed the same but looked SO DIFFERENT. I should be living proof of why you should take the battery out of your scale (since I know you won't listen and will want to weigh yourself occasionally--- blog post on THAT to come soon).

I absolutely hate doing this, but in case my words mean nothing- maybe my pictures will help?

I started my weight loss goal with a WEIGHT in mind, because it was all I knew. I knew I weighed too much, and I wanted to LOOK the way I did when I was at this particular weight in my life.

Taken at my sisters wedding in 2005, I was a sophomore in college and weighed 135

I told myself, I wanted to weigh 135 because I liked how I looked in this picture....

I feel like I look similar... but whatttt I weighed over 12lb more in this pic 

See how numbers can be deceiving?.... Ok, let me REITERATE... 

I weighed the same in THIS picture

how emb, i cringe looking at how bloated I look... 

AS I DID IN THIS PICTURE!!!!

i will take a bigger number on the scale and have a toned body any day, over a smaller number and flabbier bod!

SO, I hope that makes it clear for anyone out there using the scale as the true sign of weight loss. 

IT ALL depends on how you feel, look, and perform. I swear, let's do this ASM and quit beating ourselves up over numbers that don't matter! I know plenty of people who were bigger than me (measurement wise) and weighed less, and I know plenty of people SMALLER than me who weighed more. Just think about how you feel in your clothes, how you feel when your picture is taken, etc. I have come to peace with the fact that I will probably never ever be in the 130's again. It's not in the cards for my body frame, and that's ok! Because, last time I checked no one put a scale in front of me and forced me to get on it for any reason. Not for a friendship, relationship, etc. So it's not even worth it. Do it for yourself, do it for the right reasons, and the end result will always please you! 

Clean Eats

Before I start this post, let me preface it with: I AM NOT A PRO. I am not a specialist/nutritionist/doctor/dietician or any other thing. I am merely someone who tried a particular way of eating and was successful in shedding some extra lbs. Only after abandoning this lifestyle for a few short months of 1) newlywed life 2) bar studies 3) holidays, I realize the weight loss was the smallest benefit of "being Paleo".

I think this chart will help before I continue...

Since the wedding, I have eaten the occasional "non-paleo" meal... This means Fellini's Pizza Sunday commenced, I kept the buns on my burgers and made them cheeseburgers, and I definitely enjoyed my mac n cheese sides. What I found I could not partake in: yogurt, milk, and ice cream. After being paleo for nine months I became intolerant to most dairy and realize I had been cramming Yogli Mogli and Baskin Robbins down my throat and my body was forced to deal with it. I see the Whole 30 as an amazing cleanse to rid your body of the most common food allergens that we just ignore or become tolerant of in our daily lifestyle. Once you do the Whole30 and try to eat like your old self, you learn what your body is actually intolerant of... quite easily. haha

Before I am misquoted, I don't think Paleo is the end all be all, I think it was a catalyst in my weight loss journey and was the driving force of my extra energy juggling school, studying, work, and trying to get in the gym. You don't have to be "extreme Paleo"... it has its merits even if you do it as a balanced portion of your meals... like 75% paleo... trust me. It matters. You think of food differently and you are more conscious of what you put in your mouth. So that effort you take prevents you from eating mindless chips and understands if you are going to cheat, you are going to make it something minor, like mashed potatoes instead of sweet potatoes because you are simply craving it with your steak- and you aren't going to beat yourself up over it! Trust me, you will not crave a Big Mac... you will be so pumped with your energy, extra pep in your step, and shrinking waistline, the last thing you want to do is cheat! Just by eating more natural, healthy foods your body will be changing for the better. Lean meats, fruits, veggies, and nuts- the basis of paleo- with lots of water = AMAZING energy and the weight loss is just an added plus!

I feel like people set themselves up for failure when they become extremists. For the new year, I wanted to get back into 90% paleo but felt discouraged because I turned my back on it the past few months... and anyone who has done paleo knows how amazing it feels-so how could I just go back to my old ways??! That's when I realized I was giving myself way too much of a hard time. Old self?!? Old me had an egg and cheese biscuit 4 days a week for breakfast and a "healthy salad" was loaded with two packs of ranch! I never ever touched water. 3 cups of sweet tea a day... I had to sit and realize how far I have come from "old me"... As discouraged as I am for gaining 13 lb since the wedding, I have to give myself some credit. I have pretty much practiced paleo, save for the random bread cravings I have had. I really can get back in the swing of things!

The hardest part is preparation. Fail to plan- plan to fail. It's so easy to leave the house without almonds, water, paleo snacks, and be caught up in my day to the point that I am so HANGRY I cave and order a fast food salad... I mostly gave up paleo when my days consisted of being on the go I couldn't prepare a proper breakfast or lunch. I am going to try my hardest to get back into this habit.


The reason I want to get back on track isn't even for cosmetic purposes anymore. I have pretty much embraced the fact that no matter what weight I am, I will always be critical of my body! What I miss the most is the energy. I miss not being lethargic and mopey. I miss waking up early, eating my proper breakfast and starting my day off right.

I never blog about diet stuff. I feel like I'm under a magnifying glass, and if I post things on instagram like an occasional chocolate croissant for Sunday morning breakfast, I would be stoned to death. This post is basically...yes, I like the paleo diet. I know it's good for me, but I am totally ok with embracing some hiccups. If I see them as failures I won't change at all. I'll deny being paleo so I don't fail. I also can't stand the posts I see #paleo #crossfit #amazing #fit #skinny #fitsporation #blahblahblah I'm just human. I want to make small changes to enjoy this short life I live.

Anyhow. I leave you with my paleo tips. It's not much, but it's something. (Again, not a pro, but hey- I did lose 40 lbs...)

1.) Start your mornings off RIGHT!!! (My favorite paleo breakfast)

2.) Start your day with a full glass of water. I'm talking 12 oz people. It can be done. Finish off the rest of your day with lots of water (my rule of thumb: divide your body weight in half. Drink that many ounces of water a day). Download the app: waterlogged to help. I have taken pics of all my water bottles and that day I just click which one I just finished. It's awesome and it almost makes water drinking a challenging game haha

3.) Invest in different sizes of tupperware. I got the $8 pack from Ikea that has every size imaginable. I go grocery shopping frequently since I'm going through such copious amounts of produce, so I make life easier by washing everything and dividing them in individual containers. I put a handful of blueberries/strawberries/etc in 5 different containers. There's my mid morning snack for the week. It takes up room in the fridge, but it's SUCH a no-brainer when I open the fridge hungry to just grab one and be done!

4.) Go in on some paleo cook books with a friend. You buying one book really renders you double the amount of recipes. I started with

This book was enlightening. I remember her intro was what helped shed the most light on paleo. The recipes were 6/10 but I would buy it alone for the intro and the motivation. 

My next purchase will definitely be this one: 

5.) Don't beat yourself up if you "fail". Don't even see it as a failure. Don't dwell on it. AND ABOVE ALL: If you mess up in the morning, DON'T justify the rest of your day as a loss and continue. Acknowledge you could have made a better decision and move on. 

6.) Get your daily requirement of sleep. Or nightly. ha whatever. For some that's 6-8. For me it's definitely 10...I don't get 10, but I need it. I don't sleep enough and I think a huge part of my inability to lose weight stems from this. My family would laugh at this because I wake up around 10:30... but what they don't know is I go to bed around 4am. 

7.) Journal. Food log. Write what you eat. Not for obsession rather to make sure you are eating enough! THE BIGGEST paleo mistake: getting overwhelmed and being new to paleo you think have been limited from so much, so you don't even bother eating! You limit yourself from so much, you end up seeing you've only had 340 calories all day (or something ridiculous)... I joined My Fitness Pal for the wedding... Granted, I still don't know the ins and outs of the website... I use the app to log certain things when I don't have time to jot what I ate. People do this for caloric intake- but with me I don't have that problem. My problem was not getting ENOUGH calories, and sending my body into starvation mode- aka weight gain. I'm not sure how it all works but my name on it is: xbody so if you add me make me do something haha. just kidding. 

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

I also am a visual person and for the wedding I loved seeing the tracker go down. It was such a bitter reality check to take my "40lbs lost" in March and add about 15lb... I felt so discouraged... but this leads me to my last and final tip: 

8.) Hide your scale. I know it would be futile to beg you to toss your scale, so I would rather just be realistic and ask you kindly to hide it. Let me give you a cold hard fact. (this pertains more to crossfitters than JUST paleo-ers)

Fact: 

From September 2010 - February 2011 I weighed the same. 

Yep. I couldn't get the scale to budge. I was devastated. All those log ins and no numerical change... but everyone kept saying, "you look incredible!!!!" (I would post a before and after but it's so disgusting I would barf)....

NOW. Here's the kicker. I lost 5 pant sizes in that same time frame. WHAT?!! How is that so?! I know I heard muscle weighs more than fat numerous times before, but I finally had to see it with my own eyes to believe it. For 5 months I was discouraged for no reason. The scale does NOT determine my self-worth. In fact, it is a terrible litmus test for anyone trying to lose weight! 

I suggest: Take before and after pictures. Lock yourself in a room. Kick your husband out. Get in a bathing suit you have hopes of wearing this summer. Take the most natural pictures you can of your front, back, and side to side. Don't suck in, don't stick it out. Be natural. Then. Once you are done cringing and pouting and being mad at the world- get on your "goal jeans". Skinny jeans from days long gone... and try them on. Take a picture of where they sit or how they fit (muffin top, etc). I currently have "goal pants" that were worn ON MY HONEYMOON, that won't go up my thigh. THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, PEOPLE! 13 lb gained from wedding sounds small, but I can't get the pants up! Anyhow. So yes, there I am. Taking pics of my pants around my thighs. You gotta do what you gotta do. THEN, email ALL the pictures and label it whatever you plan on searching for later. Delete the pics from your phone so no one else has to be subjected to that nastiness (in my case)... and be motivated. Do this every month on the same day if you can. My day was the 16th of every month. I looked forward to it like it was a special treat. Because it was working. I was never let down on a "visual weigh-in". The scale? Major let down. The pics. Not so much. I remember by the time we got married, those "goal jeans" were so baggy I was elated. 

Anyhow. I hope during the new year you sit back and reassess WHY you want to lose weight. For me, it was a white dress in my closet. Now that that dress and event has come and gone, it is most definitely for less superficial reasons. I miss being THAT girl. I miss the energy. I miss the passion I had for trying new recipes and "witnessing" to the hopeless cashiers who couldn't get the few lbs off... I want it back. I hope this helps and if you have any questions just shoot me an email at ordyandjoon@gmail.com 

Again, I AM NO PRO and I can only say this speaking from my own personal experience! contact your physician for any extreme diet changes...  Good luck! I have a paleo board on pinterest that I am trying to expand and will do my best to post successful ones! 

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!

I just realized I haven't shared an important detail with you guys!!! I mean, if you follow me on twitter, you already know... but I can't believe I didn't blog about MY NEW HAIR!

Soooo... here's how impulsive I am (and this is EXACTLY how it happened... if I'm lyin', I'm dyin')...

9:00 a.m. : Woke up. Hated my hair. Texted Emily (the biggest advocate of chopping off my hair...) that I was finally sick of it. She said if I didn't cut it- she would in my sleep.

Noon: Texted my sister's BFF who does hair and said I was fed up with my hair and dying to chop it off. She was more than happy to chop it off and was sooooo nice about it. She made SURE it wasn't impulsive and let me know with shorter hair I'd HAVE to have it straight 90% of the time... That didn't bother me because once it's short, straightening would be a breeze. Plus, ever since I lightened my hair I lost my curls :( Kind of sad, but it's ok. I fried my hair so the texture was awful!

Cortney sent me a picture of the hair cut she saw for me:

2:00 p.m.:  Before Cortney could give me another moment to think it over, I was AT HER HOUSE for her to chop it off! The only person who knew about my spontaneous decision was Emily. Not even Ordy, or my SISTER. I texted my sis when I was on my way that I "felt like cutting my hair"...her response, "don't do it- you'll hate it...and your wedding- won't grow back in time."

Too late. I was in Cortney's driveway. There was no turning back... I walked in Cortney's house half nervous half terrified but faked confidence as I sat down for her to cut my hair. She was super nice and didn't cut as short as I originally said I wanted because she was worried I'd have "cutter's remorse" and she said she'd rather cut less than more. If I wanted more off I could come back next week or so.

4:00 p.m. I had a brand new look. I was obsessed. I am STILL happy. No cutter's remorse here!

Ready for some before and after pictures?!

BEFORE

Long & Dark

AFTER!!!!

That was the picture I sent my sister and she was freaking out. She called me almost crying that she hadn't seen me with short hair in over ten years. She already posted on facebook before I even left Cortney's house- and the notifications were blowing up so much my phone died!! I had no battery to show off my hair cut to Ordy and it was killing me!!!

He loved it. And wasn't even mad that I'd make an impulse decision he had to live with for a while hahaha.

I still love it! I have YET to make it as awesome as she did the day I left her house... so yes, I am pathetic and BEGGED her to recreate the same curl/waves for our engagement photos this weekend. I'm so nervous! Hope it looks as good!

If you're in the Atlanta area you are missing out on an amazing hair girl... She seriously transformed my look. It was much needed and I love love love the new hair!


Cortney specializes in up-dos for weddings and events and I can't wait to figure out how I'm wearing mine for the wedding!

Guest Post: Thrifty Finds & Redesigns!

Hello Ordy & Joon readers! I’m Katie, your guest blogger today from Thrifty Finds and Redesigns!

Thrifty Finds and Redesigns is my collection of DIY projects and decorating ideas!

Today I am going to share a furniture redo with you! A few weekends ago, I found this little telephone table at our local flea market. One of my favorite vendors was selling it, she had another one that she had refinished but she encouraged me to go for the cheaper one, "It will be such a fun project for you!" and it has been such a fun project! I still hesitated though, because I couldn't think of where it would go in our home, I feel like we are maxing out our space already! I decided that it didn't matter where it went, I NEEDED IT! She only charged me $20 for it, and her finished one was $50. I thought the savings were worth it to just do the work myself!

 BEFORE:

AFTER:

I am in LOVE! It was sooo simple to fix up, it took me no time to do it! I started by painting the entire thing gray....

I then sanded it down to distress the edges, and rubbed wood stain on it to further "antique" it....

I covered the seat with drop cloth. The original seat back was missing so, I traced out the shape onto thick cardboard, cut it out, and also covered it in drop cloth. I then decided to paint it....I used a stencil and acrylic paint to add the design...

Once the paint dried on the table and seat backing, I put it back together! I then added a crate, that I have had for a while, from Home Goods...I made a little tag out of cork to give it a little something extra...

My ball jar lamp also found a new home on the table and I think it goes well with the old style telephone table...

As you can see, it found a home in our home! I moved some stuff around to make it work and couldn't be happier with it.

Hope this inspires you to take home an old piece of furniture and give it a makeover! Thanks for having me Joon! Feel free to stop by and check out my other projects!

Thanks, Katie! You guys should DEFINITELY check out Katie's adorable blog! I spend way too much time going over all of her cute projects! Thank you so much for guest posting for me while I bury my head in these books! 

Office Reveal!

(Yes, I love to use my ellipses...) 

One wall is completely painted in chalkboard paint. I started with one quart and ended up needing 1 and a half cans. I did two coats and let it 'cure' for 3 days. My vision for this wall was to be a 'blank' canvas to be able to sketch ideas, notes, and even drawings on. I know the chalk board thing is probably on it's way out, but I didn't do it to be "trendy", I did it to be practical! {the inspiration behind this 'crazy' idea: Isabella & Max Rooms I am obsessed with her blog!}

I used my Purdy brush... P.S. Did you know they make "female friendly" brush handles?? I loved it. It was so easy to paint and get the edges. I didn't tape off my ceilings -saved me so much time! 

ALL the frames were primed and painted with my handy dandy Krylon primer then finished with the glossy white coat. Love the nozzle because I don't get that cramped index-finger-about-to-fall-off feeling!

My original plan was to use black paint and put the frames on the striped wall... but you'll see why i didn't.

A wall of frames on the chalkboard wall, with random things that mean something to me.

I had so many stamps just tossed in a container- 'out of sight, out of mind' is so true. I was starting to get multiples because I'd go to Hobby Lobby and forget I already had it! I got this narrow shelf at a thrift store for $3 and painted it grey for all my stamps! Love it! Love that I can see it all in front of me and it even adds a colorful touch.

 I bought that cabinet from a thrift store for $10 (steep for second hand haha) but it was practically brand new! I bought it for my uber tiny bathroom that has NO shelves or storage space, but alas, the bathroom was even too small for this bulky thing! It sat in my goodwill pile for months. I randomly decided to put it on a bare wall and utilize it as a craft cabinet...

Inside it contains my embosser heat-thingy (haha) and a BUNCH of unopened pens/markers, glue sticks, glue rollers, and of course my favorite little bird stickers that I loved so much I bought 6 rolls... (gave the pink and one white to my sister). i'm sick. nothing new about that. I loved the little dowel on the bottom allowing me to put 2 rolls (or ribbon in the future). 

On top is my little box for my stampy-thingamabobbers.

 So, that's my sewing/crafting side...The only thing missing is a Silhouette. Fingers crossed I win one haha because my budget will NOT allow for one! The chair is the one I redid in this post. The sewing machine is from this post :)

and that's my studying/researching blogging side... I love how the room is so me! (studious yet crafty... law student yet blogger... hahaha)

I thought the wall looked too cluttered at first, but the more I took things away the more I realized I was taking the personality and "flair" away from the creative side! I loved it just the way it was. Side note: Ordy is NOT a fan of the frames. He said I defeat the whole purpose of the chalkboard wall since free space is limited... but my vision was to have cute things IN the frames!

This is Bandit. He's the blog bouncer. He goes through all the mean comments people might be crazy (bored) enough to leave. He is not amused. and he dares them to come over and say it to his momma's face with him around hahaha. Sometimes he is the one tweeting from @ordyandjoon. He's a funny pup. I should probably start paying him for all his diligent work.

I was inspired by Mandi to take on these horizontal stripes. I swear, she is like my sister from another mister... ok, just kidding. but really, I LOVE her blog. You will be all sorts of inspired! Back to the paint. I didn't want a flat gray, so I got risky and bought SILVER. This thing REALLY is SILVER! It has this metallic sheen to it, almost reflective! It's Ralph Lauren's Silver Plated- and unfortunately, my diva idol (Martha Stuart) refused to sell her product line against Ralph Lauren's so ALL Home Depot's are discontinuing the line (go fast before they're out!) What was originally $19.99 a quart was $10 for me. I needed 3 so for $30 the whole room was done in this awesome color!

I'm obsessed with apothecary jars and would have one in every corner if Ordy wouldn't call A&E Hoarders on me... It took a lot of motivation to limit this corner to 3. I had to think long and hard about what I'd keep in them- I didn't want "cute" i wanted PRACTICAL... so... I have my sticker letters in one, my stamp pads/embossing powders in another, and of course as you can tell- my glue sticks! Love it!

Meet Lucille, otherwise known as Lucy. She was found in an antique mall in an awful golden state. I stayed up 3 nights, missed 4 class readings, and devoted 45 playlists to finish her. I couldn't find a Krylon color to match the "coral" look I was going for (all too orange), so I had this "tropical coral" mixed up and bought a quart. Yes, I PAINTED it. It wasn't too bad since I had my Purdy brush. (invest in a good brush people!--- not endorsed, just experienced haha) She stands out from her siblings Stanley, and Stella. But I still love her.

On the left side of the printer is a scale I got for $3 with my last initial on it ($5) and my favorite frame with a picture of my dad and I.

Stanley was here first, and he was so AWKWARD... tall and skinny- it just didn't look right. Luckily, I remember the sick hoarder I am just HAPPENED to have Lucy under my bed since last October when we went to the cabin and found the antique store... For "some day"... I'm glad that day came :) It was nice to go shopping in my house haha

Ok, these "curtains"... about that... Ever since I got my awesome ones on clearance for $9.99, curtain shopping has brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to get custom ones for the prices I saw! And then I REALLY hit a bump in the road- EVERYTHING I bought clashed with the stripes! The simple, elegant stripes were drowned out by chevron/floral/geometric curtains. I realized I had to do a simple color- but simple doesn't mean plain... Enter Hancock Fabric... I scored 3 yards of this raw silk coral fabric for $3 a yard and just cut it in half!! HA! This "window treatment" cost me $9 and required zero sewing (I mean, it NEEDS sewing the frayed edges but in my house, that's never gonna happen...) I hung it up with $5 drapery clips from Target. I couldn't be happier!

The desk is the same... (and no paint, dad...) and I still love it. It's a grown up desk and I'm thankful I have it. Anything nice in my house isn't really mine- or thrifted. haha

The floating shelves are "LACK" Shelves from Ikea (around $30 each) but I scored BOTH for $20 off Craigslist! Perfect condition and JUST what I needed!

The shelves hold all my sewing fabric, knick-knacks, and anything else creative. All my stationary/card stock is placed in the boxes and bins so it didn't look too cluttered.

I keep chalk for the wall and little labels for future sewing projects in tiny Ball glass jars

The frames ALL came from thrift stores/yard sales and $8 was the most I paid for one. (Average $2 each)...

Here's what I see when seated at my little sewing nook! LOVE!

The balloon picture is a card my favorite person in the whole wide world sent me for my birthday years
ago (my bobo- aka grandpa). I love the picture and the colors! I framed it in my $1 frame to add to the collection...

My awesome sister bought me the thread spools and display!! I don't even sew {yet}! I just mentioned to her one day that I loved how 'pretty' it would be to display colorful thread- and sure enough she went back to the store and bought every.single.one. Probably my favorite part of the wall!!

The itty bitty frame (.79) holds a pic of my dad and I on my graduation day...see, meaningful stuff? haha

The craft nook is SO COZY at night with my little $4 faux milk glass lights to light it up! The black shades were .50 each from a yard sale.

Hope it was worth the wait!!! (My MacBook Pro and my MacBook magically combined to create an iMac. Cool, huh?)

It's amazing what a little paint can do to a room! 

If you're visiting, check out the giveaway going on!!! $50 value!

I love idea sharing on blog land and know that everyone inspires someone! Feel free to use these ideas and contact me if you have any questions! If you are reposting this all I ask is for a link back! (and you can tell me too so I can add it to the list below!)

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