My Latest & Greatest DIY Project EVER!!

So my latest project is DIY at its finest. Its me...I'm my latest project.

I am in the middle of the biggest makeover I've ever done. Its lasted oh, I'd say...about 14 years.

That's how long my weight has been yo-yoing... When I was 21 I was thin, in a semi-new relationship, & foolishly blindly happy... now I'm 35, not so thin, & foolishly happily married...

No...not to the same guy... in fact, that semi-new relationship is part of that epic moment when everything changed for me. It was the beginning of the yo-yo... My then boyfriend (we'll call him Mr. Toxic <---my cousin's favorite name for him), broke up with me..well, more like I cought him with his ex-girlfriend, but tomay-to, tomah-to... the point is we broke up...BRING ON THE ICE-CREAM!!!

That's exactly what I did...I stopped going to the gym, ate whatever I wanted & basically was really sad...

After a while I wasn't depressed anymore. I realized that I was better off & went about my life...but by then I was a bit bigger..like a size 18 jeans...Did I mention I'm only 5'3"?

Then one day..years later (I was 30+ by then) I joined the gym again, hired an awesome personal trainer & worked out like a feind. I counted my calorie intake & it worked. I got down to 165lbs & into size 10 jeans. I thought that was AWESOME!

In other words, I got comfortable...

I figured I didn't really have to count my calories so accurately anymore because I still worked out regularly and it was all about maintaining..see I didn't want to be a rail thin skinny minnie..just a regular girl... size 10 worked for me!

Then...BOOM!!!

My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer...I cared about nothing else...I stopped going to the gym so that I could be there in his house. I hung out with my mom & aunts & again ate anything I wanted... see the pattern??

Three years later I am a borderline size 14/16 & tired of being a yo-yo... I still had my gym membership so I started going again about 8 months ago. Three months ago I actually got serious about it... I decided I needed to make my health more of a priority...so now I go to the gym every morning before work. I work out for about 45 minutes a day Monday thru Friday and for about two hours on Saturday. Every other Saturday I go to Zumba class..LOVE IT!!!

If you've tried Zumba before & didn't like it, I urge you to try a different instructor. I've tried a few different instructors & have decided that I only really enjoy Angelo's Zumba class, but I'll post on that another time...

Two months ago I started the calorie counting again...

Over the last three months I have lost 6.6lbs... not a high number if you're used to watching The Biggest Loser, but its what I've got, so there you go...

Anyway..if you're still with me, then for the next little while you'll be reading about my journey..the ups & the downs...

Oh, by the way, I weigh in every Monday morning...just once a week no matter how tempting it is to pop on all the time in between weigh ins.

All for now...

Bernadette...

a girl & her cold...

Hi everyone...

This girl has a cold! ugh!

I had so many plans for my February break...a whole week of DIYing and finally, finally a bedroom with color! Instead, I've been sniffling & coughing up a storm...so frustrating!

Now, normally I'd relish in the chance to stay in bed all day & have nothing to do but flip through channels or catch up on my DVR list..not this time though.

I really, really wanted to be busy...Picture it: freshly painted walls...nice, comfy "new" headboard made by yours truely, and a sunburst mirror Martha Stweart could be proud of...can you see it?? Oh, it was going to be soooo GREAT!

But, alas, in a cloud of used tissues, that vision disappeared...*sigh* (gross, I know, but to be completely honest there was only 1 used tissue & all it did was catch a sneeze)

There was however an achey body, a throbbing head, and a burning throat...so no DIY for me...

EXCEPT...You had to know that a cold couldn't keep me down the whole time...

I did manage to get started on my sunburst mirror...remember I wanted to make my own for under $20...

My inspiration...the sunburst mirror made by Michelle at "Three Men and a Lady"
(I tried to post a picture, but couldn't so, find it & a tutorial HERE)

Now remember, its not finished...I have 2 more steps to go...

Step 1: find the perfect thrift store mirror as my base

I found this mirror at "Class & Trash" on South Main Street in Salinas. It had a $4 sticker price, but since it was a little beat up, I got it for $3...I know what you're thinking..eww..wicker! yuck! Open your minds people....it gets better!

Step 2: Glue BBQ skewers (yes, BBQ skewers) to the back of the mirror...like this:

I had an open bag at home so I only had to buy 1 more pack of 100 skewers for $2.15. To attach them, I used hot glue..see my big pink gun in the background?? Isn't she cool?? lol...

Step 3: Which I haven't gotten to is to spray paint the whole thing black...don't panic!! I'm not leaving it black..that's just a base for the silver that will be the final color, but that's step 4, and we can't get there yet because

THE GIRL HAS A COLD!! ugh!!

ok, so here's hoping that next time you check back I'll have a freshly painted room & an amazing sunburst mirror to show you...

*fingers crossed*

stay healthy...
~Bernadette