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April 23, 2013

Dresser Transformation, Give me some ideas????

Good-day my friends!


It is starting to get warm....


Spring is in the air and flowers are blooming




Isn't God's creation magnificent?





The warmer weather has got me in the mood to get busy on some DIY projects





I found this awesome dresser on Craigslist a while back and she has been calling my name to fancy her up.












I just love this little dresser.

As you can see the second drawer from the bottom is broken








I have a few questions for ya!


Would you fix the drawer....more work involved





or remove it move all the drawers down and add a shelf for pretty baskets?






Lastly I would like you DIY'ers to give me some ideas on how to transform her

all ideas are welcome.........

what color?

stain/paint?

embellishments?

knobs, leave em or change them out?

You guys are awesome with all your creative ideas and I want to hear them all.




Until next time,
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April 18, 2013

Head Over Heels!

High heels !!!!

High heels have always been a head turner! 






Are you a heel's fan?


When you want to look your absolute best, do you go for the high heels and the red lipstick?


  • Heels can make a girl feel ten feet tall
  • Heels can make you feel like a confident Diva
  • Heels can make your legs look leaner and longer
  • Heels can transform an outfit

High heels can also make you look clumsy if you dont know how to walk in them properly. 

I mean seriously even the these professionals can feel clumsy in high heels  WATCH 

can you imagine having to walk a runway with poise and grace in front of cameras and lots of people.  






When you’re walking in heels, let’s face it ladies, there’s always a tiny part in the back of your brain that repeats “don’t trip, don’t trip” continuously.


I find that as I get older my heels get lower and my lipstick gets lighter....lol


Not that I dont like red lipstick, it happens to be my favorite color by far & I love, love high heels as well.....






BUT, I mean really, the agility does not come as easily as it use to and I feel a little clumsy in 4 or 5 inch stilettos. 

I use to wear them all the time and now I just wann be comfy most of the time!

Can I get a witness somebody!!!!  (raise of hands)

Come on dont leave me hanging out here in heel land all by myself. 

Surely there are those of you that feel more comfortable in your flats and your oversized comfy sweatshirts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I was feeling daring this past weekend, so I took out a pair of my high heels on Sunday and decided to sport them to church!

Oh Yeah ladies, sporting a pair high heels I had not had on in at least 6 months or better. 

Funny, I was walking into church and a lady stopped me and said "How in the world do you walk in those things, I would break my neck" 

I just chuckled.........



Source
Are these not fancy smancy HEELS?

I mean where in the world would you wear something this stunningly beautiful and flashy?

Starting to daydream..........

"Biddidi,bobbidi, boo, sang the fairy godmother as she waved her magic wand. All of a sudden, the pumpkin changed into a coach, the mice into horses, the dog into a footman, and the horse into a coachman.

She waved her magic wand again, and my oversized sweatshirt turned into a beautiful gown. On my feet appeared 5 inch stunning and oh so flashy glass Heels.

My prince charming and I whirled around the ballroom all evening with the agility of a tightrope walker.

It was glorious!!!

At the final stroke of midnight, my beautiful gown became an oversized sweatshirt and my glass slippers turned back into everyday flats.  My coach disappeared, too, and in its place was a pumpkin.


Source


and then, I woke up!!


Daydream, Over...............


 A girl can dream can't she??????????????????????????

Source


So the moral of this story is..........


................................... dress up more often and wear your heels with confidence!..................................



 dont trip and don't leave home without your fairy Godmother!  (snicker)


Until next time,
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April 4, 2013

Predict The Future Size Of Your Pants & Health Care Bills



via google

FOOD POISON

Eight Ingredients You Never Want To See On A Nutritional Food Label


So my friends, have you ever wondered why the health of our nation seems to be on a fast downhill decline?


We are a nation of instant gratification, fast food, microwaves, drive through banks, convenience stores etc....  Grab it and go!

If it's quick, we are all about it.

Well, honestly when it come to our nutrition we need to slow down and read between the lines.

We need to read our nutritional Food labels.

The nutrition label can predict the future size of your pants and health care bills. 

We need to become aware and knowledgeable about what we consume. 

Think about this..........Would you give your child a food that you knew down the road was going to cause diabetes, cancer, thyroid issues, high blood pressure, heart disease?

Of course not 

We need to be proactive in our health.  And yes this takes time

Over the pat few years my hubs and I have become increasingly aware of what we should & should not eat, and we are still learning.

Eliminating Sodas was the first major change that we chose to do years ago. 

Did you know that It takes drinking twenty-two glasses of water to flush out the negative effects of one 12oz. soda pop and bring your body back into balance.

Did you know that after consuming one can of soda pop it lowers your immune system for up to 5 hours causing your white blood cells to lower the ability to kill bacteria.



Via google
The research I found below is taken from the internet and is good information that I felt important to share with my readers. Source below


The following are 
acidic ingredients that you never want to see on a label and you never want to ingest:


1. BHA
This preservative is used to prevent rancidity in foods that contain oils. 

Unfortunately, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) has been shown to cause cancer in rats, mice, and hamsters. The reason the FDA hasn't banned it is largely technical—the cancers all occurred in the rodents' forestomachs, an organ that humans don't have. 
Nevertheless, the study, published in the Japanese Journal of Cancer Research, concluded that BHA was "reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen," and from  research have found this ingredient to suppress the white blood cell activity.

what foods contain BHA? You’ll find it in: Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles ... Packaged cereals, snack foods and desserts, meats & poultry, beer 

2. Parabens
These synthetic preservatives are used to inhibit mold and yeast in food. 

The problem is parabens may also disrupt your body's endocrine system alkaline balance. A study in Food Chemical Toxicology found that daily ingestion decreased sperm and testosterone production in rats, and parabens have been found present in breast cancer tissues.

Source


 Parabens that are found in some packaged:

·      Cakes
·      Pie crusts
·      Pastries
·      Icings
·      Toppings
·      Fillings
·      The jelly coatings of meat products
·      Surface treatment of dried meat products
·      Cereal- or potato-based snacks and coated nuts
·      Confectionery (excluding chocolate)
·      Liquid dietary food supplements



3. Partially Hydrogenated Oil (Trans fats)
These are highly acidic: Don't confuse "0 grams of trans fat" with being trans fat-free. 

The FDA allows products to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as they have less than half a gram per serving. That means they can have 0.49 grams per serving and still be labeled a no-trans-fat food. Considering that two grams is the absolute most you ought to consume in a day, those fractions can quickly add up. The telltale sign that your snack is soiled with the stuff? Look for partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient statement.

source
 If it's anywhere on there, then you're ingesting acidic artery-clogging trans fat.

Foods most likely to contain partially hydrogenated oils include anything made with vegetable shortening, fast food, biscuits, instant coffee beverages, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, crackers, cookies, icing, pie and microwave popcorn -- almost any commercially prepared food. If eating in a fast food establishment or restaurant, the only way you can know if foods contain trans fats is to ask.    

4. Sodium Nitrite
Nitrites and nitrates are used to inhibit botulism-causing bacteria and to maintain processed meats' pink hues, which is why the FDA allows their use. 


Unfortunately, once ingested, nitrite can fuse with amino acids (of which meat is a prime source) to form nitrosamines, powerful carcinogenic compounds. Ascorbic and erythorbic acids—essentially vitamin C—have been shown to decrease the risk, and most manufacturers now add one or both to their products, which has helped. Still, the best way to reduce risk is to limit your intake of this highly acidic ingredient with a pH of less than 2.

5. Caramel Coloring
This additive is dangerous even if you make it the old-fashioned way—with water and sugar, on top of a stove. 

But the food industry follows a different recipe making this ingredient even more caustic: They treat sugar with ammonia, which can produce some nasty carcinogens.

How carcinogenic are these compounds? A Center for Science in the Public Interest report asserted that the high levels of caramel color found in soda account for roughly 15,000 cancers in the U.S. annually
source

Another good reason to scrap soft drinks? They're among The 20 Worst Drinks in America.

Beer: Caramel coloring (Caramel III) is often used in the beer-making process (even for light-colored beers) because it provides color, stability, and flavor.
Soy sauce: Caramel III is often used to produce synthetic soy sauce in order to obtain the appropriate color and flavor.
Gravies (and other sauces): Caramel III is often used here to get that deep and luxurious brown color.
Licorice: Some conventional varieties of this sugary convection contain Caramel III.
Dark breads: Particularly for some dark breads like pumpernickel or rye, Caramel IV is sometimes used to enhance flavor and visual appeal.



6. Castoreum
Well to start out, would you buy a food product if you knew it contained beaver anal glands? 

Castoreum is one of the many nebulous "natural ingredients" used to flavor food and is highly toxic. 


source

Castoreum is a substance made from beavers' castor sacs, or anal scent glands. 

These glands produce potent secretions that help the animals mark their territory in the wild. In the food industry, however, 1,000 pounds of the unsavory acidic ingredient are used annually to imbue foods—usually vanilla or raspberry flavored—with a distinctive, musky flavor.

vanilla ice cream anyone?


7. Food Dyes
Food dyes are one of the most widely used and dangerous additives. 

Plenty of fruit-flavored candies and sugary cereals don't contain a single gram of produce, but instead rely on artificial dyes and flavorings to suggest a relationship with nature. 

Not only do these dyes allow manufacturers to mask the drab colors of heavily processed foods, but certain hues have been linked to more serious ailments. 

Source


A Journal of Pediatrics study linked Yellow 5 to hyperactivity in children, Canadian researchers found Yellow 6 and Red 40 to be contaminated with known carcinogens, and Red 3 is known to cause tumors. 

The bottom line? Avoid artificial dyes as much as possible because they are highly acidic and will compromise the delicate pH balance of the body fluids.


8. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used as a flavor enhancer, is plant protein that has been chemically broken down into amino acids.

One of these acids, glutamic acid, can release free glutamate. When this glutamate joins with free sodium in your body, they form monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive known to cause adverse reactions—headaches, nausea, and weakness, among others

in sensitive individuals. When MSG is added to products directly, the FDA requires manufacturers to disclose its inclusion on the ingredient statement. But when it occurs as a byproduct of hydrolyzed protein, the FDA allows it to go unrecognized.

Source


Foods that Contain HVP

The FDA requires that manufacturers disclose the use of HVP on the food label. Common foods that contain HVP are hot dogs, soups, chili, dips, dressings and other processed foods. The label cannot just read "hydrolyzed vegetable protein," according to the USDA. It must name the source of the protein, such as hydrolyzed wheat protein, in the ingredients list to meet federal regulations.



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/512629-hydrolyzed-vegetable-protein-foods/#ixzz2PVWt3gf1







To the transformation of your health!!

April 2, 2013

Roadside Rescue Dresser Turned Entertainment Stand



Have you ever been on your way somewhere and you spot a discarded piece of treasure on the side of the road?

Then you have to rush home and figure out how you're going to ask your loving hubby to take the truck and make a trip to grab it before some other DIY'er nabs it?

Well that is what happened....

He said seriously honey, not again......dont you have enough projects going on?

He graciously agreed and off we went.

All he could say as we were loading it is babe, this is a piece of garbage.

I said It may be a laminate top but I would not call it garbage......just help me load it.




So he did and off we went with a big smile on my face!!

As you can see it was missing all the drawers except for two and I put those on the bottom.





The dresser was not solid wood

but that is OK I saw some potential and I had never painted a laminate piece before so I wanted to dig in and get some practice.





 I took my favorite tool, my sander and sanded all the laminate until it was dull.

I have read that laminate has to be primed so out with the primer.






I wanted a grey undertone since I wanted to paint it barn red and have some grey color showing through after I distressed it.

So I added some black acrylic paint to the primer to turn it grey.






Here she is with the first coat of primer........





Now the second coat of primer just to make sure the laminate is good and covered





after a light sanding .....

it was time for a purdy coat of barn red paint








Once I had the two coast of red paint on

 I lightly sanded..........





I love the way glazing on furniture looks

It gives it a rich antique look

It makes the color pop as well






I chose to Mod-Podge a cool woodsy turquoise paneling scrapbook paper onto the backboard of the dresser/entertainment center.

This is not easy to do for someone who likes things perfect......

because when the paper gets wet those of you that have done this know exactly what I am getting ready to say.

it wrinkles and bubbles up............

you have to be be patient and work it and work it to get out the bubbles and wrinkles.

I have learned to get the worst out and the rest will usually take care of itself once it dries.




I distressed it with some sandpaper so some of the grey would show through.

The inside walls were painted a pretty turquoise color to match the scrapbook paper I put on the back.








I ask my wonderful hubby to cut me some pallet boards down so we could make rustic shelving to replace the missing drawers.

I Love me some pallets that you can get free at so many places.

These come in handy when you need some rustic wood.





I stained and added a semi-gloss poly on them to bring out the grain of the wood.

can you say beautiful!!

All the sliders were removed of course from the side walls when I paint the the yummy turquoise color.




I used the original hardware and spray painted them a color that contrasted with the inside of the dresser/entertainment center.





With a little hard-work and creativity this roadside find turned out beautiful.


My girlfriend Kaye moved into her new home and I gave this to her as a housewarming gift.

She loves it!!






She has it in her living room with her TV on top and all her goodies nestled inside this warm trash turned to treasure.




What have you rescued from the side of the road lately?



Until next time,
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