New design

Over the last couple days I've been working with the amazing Brea at Utterly Chaotic Designs to get my new blog design done.  I had a lot of fun watching my vision become reality.

Brea was absolutely awesome to work with.  She was kind, patient, and understanding.  Her prices are more than reasonable.  I definitely recommend her to anyone.

Stop by and check her out sometime.



I haven't had a chance to get all my tabs at the top updated yet, so bear with me.

Here is my new button. If you'd like to grab it, go ahead.  The code is over there. ----->



ANDDDDD..... I got a promotion and a raise last week at work. I start my new job this morning.

I'm behind on blog reading/commenting but I promise I'll catch up this week.

New blankie

If you would like to enter my giveaway, click HERE.

Matt's acoholic beverage of choice is Crown Royal. Not me, my theory is if it's brown it doesn't go down. Anywho, Matt's been saving Crown Royal bags since for a long time now. When I used to have my shit job, I would keep the bags every now and then.

Around October or November, we decided to make them into a quilt somehow. I talked to Matt's mom about it and she came up with the design. I went and picked out the other materials.

She had the top pieced together by Christmas when we were over and hand quilted it by around the beginning of February. My mom did the binding on the quilt which basically means sewing up the edges.

I'm sure the work my husband has put into this quilt has caused a few fight and a lot of laughs.

This is the very center of the quilt and the only block that is a little different.

I love the points on the quilt and I bought a purple bed skirt. And there is grouchass Ozzy helping me take pictures.

Some more blocks. Don't you love my blurry pictures?

My mommy made the throw pillows. And I just noticed one is upside down.

My mommy made the curtains too. They are the dark color of purple.

And here are all the pups wondering what in the world I'm doing taking pictures of the bed.

I love all the colors. Purple and teal are my favorite colors. And I think the only way Matt will go for purple stuff in the bedroom is if Crown in involved.

New 'do

I got my hair colored yesterday. I've never went completely black before. I have been bleach blonde, every shade of brown imaginable, and I think even red once.

Here's my color yesterday. This is a couple shades darker than my natural color. Please excuse the pony tail and lack of make-up. I woke up 10 minutes before I usually leave for work.

Here is today. I like it. I think I can pull it off for the winter. Matt thinks it is super sexy. And the pups just thought it smelled funny last night.

What do you think?

Today is pretty much like a Friday for me! Yay!

Button and a Fabulous Giveaway!

Last week Mrs. Gambizzle at Life as a Sailor's Girl made me this awesome button. I always wanted a button and she was generous enough to spend her time making me one. Thanks again!

So, grab my button and let me know and I'll grab yours.


<center><a href="www.imwatchingairplanes.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/Buttons/Airplanesbtn.png" /></a></center>

I hope I did that right. I'm semi-button challenged.


She is also doing a giveaway for a free blog make-over. I do love my layout now but sometimes change is good. I really want to win. If you want to help me stop by here and tell her I sent you. If you don't follow her already, you are missing out. She has the cutest pups and as I already mentioned, she is super generous.

Adventures in weight loss

I promised you all when I started trying to lose weight that I wouldn't let my blog be overran with calorie counts and exercise routines. But I wanted to give you a little update.

Let me start by saying, I've always been the last to care about my weight or others for that matter. I would even get annoyed when people would talk about such things. To me, happiness comes from the inside. If you can't be happy with your inner self, then you will never be happy with the outside.

I have been steady gaining weight for the last four or five years. No losing. Just gaining. For the first time in my life, I started trying to lose weight about five weeks ago.

I allow myself one soda per week versus one or two a day. And let me tell you, that one soda a week is one of the highlights of my week. Every week. I can almost taste it now. Bubbly goodness. Oh wait, back to things I've been doing. I also switched to sugar free red bull. I have one in the morning instead of the regular stuff. I had a regular one the other day and I could barely drink it. And I switched to sugar free creamer for my coffee. Instead of eating whatever strikes my fancy for lunch, I've been eating a lot of salad and soup and whatnot. I drink more water during the day and when I get home. For dinner I've been making a lot of baked fish and chicken.

I've been thinking about cutting red meat out all together. I've done it before, not to lose weight though. I was because when I was in college the first time the cafeteria meat products, except for chicken, were so disgusting that I couldn't eat them. I didn't eat red meat for another year after that. Anyway, as far as what I've been eating and drinking those are the changes I've made.

As far as exercising goes, I try to ride my Gazelle whenever I can. I've had a cold for the last week or two so I've been slacking on riding it but I stay pretty busy so I figure that burns some calories. I've also been trying to sit on the couch less in the evenings. I try to find stuff to do to keep me moving until bedtime.

I have lost 11 pounds to date. My clothes are fitting better already and I feel like I have more energy. At this rate, I'll be able to wear a swim suit by Christmas.

Hope you are all having a good week!

The hubs and my hair

Matt and I are going out tonight. I'm taking my husband out to eat at a new restaurant that he's been wanting to go to. I told him that I would cook whatever he wanted or take him wherever he wanted to go for Veteran's Day.

I just want to show and remind him how much he means to me. It may seem cheesy, but he really is my hero. And so is anyone else who has ever served.

In other news.................

I got my hair cut yesterday. I've been wanting to cut it since before our wedding, which was over a year ago. Don't get me wrong, I loved having long hair but I hated it falling everywhere, clogging up the drain, and ending up in my food.

I had been growing out my hair since around 2002. It was to a point were it wasn't getting any longer or healthier.

I got around 8 inches cut off. I wanted to donate it but it wasn't long enough and their were too many layers.

Matt loves it. I'm still getting used to the new do but I think I like it.

Before....

After....

(Notice how happy I am to be at work today.)

Make Over!!!

My blog is getting a make over tomorrow. New title. New blog design, which I love to pieces. You will all love it too. A very talented designer/friend of mine made it for me. I'm also going to use a new picture of me and start going by my name, Steph instead of Mrs. R. So, don't worry, its not an impostor. It will still be me.

Very soon I will also be changing my address. I will find all of the blogs back that I follow if I have to but you will have to re-add me. It will be fun. I will let you all know before I do so.