Success

Yes, we successfully finished the cleanse. I lost 8 pounds and 4 inches (all in my hips and thighs). My husband lost about the same amount. Many people ask if I think it was just water weight and as soon as I start eating regularly I'll just put it back. I honestly feel like I lost stubborn fat that I haven't been able to lose. In addition, another benefit of the cleanse is it really makes you think about everything you eat. We have both decided to continue eating a protein shake once a day as a meal replacement - either breakfast or supper. So, I think the cleanse will have long term effects. In addition, my husband said he wanted to start taking isagenix product B and multi vitamins. I've been taking both of these with good results so I'm glad he wants to really take a more active role in his health. When you work so hard to get through the nine days it really makes you want to commit to a healthier lifestyle. So, I really think the isagenix cleanse was a great experience for us and one I would recommend to others.

Start of Day 8

Well, yesterday was our last day of "real food" and we are now back to the liquid cleanse.  To motivate myself, I decided to wear a dress to work today that is a little tight (especially through the hips and thighs).  I am proud to say that dress is now loose on me - in fact, I was even able to go spanx-less.  Normally, when I wear that dress I always wear my spanx to hide the bulges - but not today!!  That helped to make it a little easier to start back to the liquid portion of the cleanse.

On a side note, I was a little worried about my husband the other night when he was opening the cat's can of food and remarked,"This smells good, like turkey - it is turkey."  No, he didn't try it, but the fact that he thought their cat food smelled appealing concerned me.  I got him all ready for today - measured out his liquid cleanse in individual jars for each serving, counted out his 6 almonds, and put his "snacks" in baggies.  He should be all set for the day!

Wish us luck - we are down to the wire! 

Days 5 and 6

I got a little behind in my posts, so I'm combining days 5 and 6. We are really enjoying our lunches. I am feeling good and even went to the gym and lifted on Sunday and did a cardio workout tonight. One thing the cleanse has made me do is to be more aware of everything I eat. Sometimes I think I just eat automatically and don't realize how much or often I'm eating. When you only to get to eat 1 meal a day, you have a new appreciation for what you eat. I will admit, today I was pretty hungry so I started eatingmlunch at 11:00. For those who dont know my schedule, that's not too bad given I'm up at 5:45. I had my shake at 6:30 am but by 11:00 I was really ready for lunch.

Tomorrow is our last day of real food. After that, it's back to two days of liquid. I'm not looking forward to that.

Isagenix day 4

Well, I got on the scale this morning and I lost 6 pounds since I started the cleanse. I was very happy! Didn't take measurements again, so I'm not sure exactly where I lost - hopefully a little all over. Hubby has also lost about the same. We are really enjoying lunch, and the shakes arent bad at all. I can't say we feel as though we are starving. I think our bodies are adjusting. Although my husband did admit that after I went to bed he was staring at the m&m's in the bowl beside him - and he swears they stared back.

Day 3

Well, today was the day we've been waiting for - the day we get real food. The shake for breakfast and dinner wasn't too bad. Hubby found adding ice helped the taste. Yes, we've gotten to the point where we get excited about adding ice to a shake. Lunch was tofu and veggies and it was delicious. I'm impressed that hubby is doing really good. He is very excited that he can now have a hard boiled egg for a snack. I can't wait for tomorrow's lunch. I may go to bed early so I'll wake up and it will be day 4. All I have to say is I better lose some inches!

On a side note. I found the most hilarious web site. It's text messages that auto correct has turned into a completely different meaning. I laughed so hard I was crying. Either it's that funny or I'm getting delirious from the lack of food.

Day 2

Just finishing up day 2 and I'm still feeling pretty good. I have managed to just have 1 apple each day and 6almonds as my only real food. Hubby has had 4 apples, celery, and not sure how many almonds. He was very excited about the prospect of a real meal tommorow. However, he thought that meant pasta and pie. I informed him that lunch will consist of steamed veggies, rice and chicken. I even went out tonight and bought his lunch for tommorow so he won't be tempted.

Well, I have to go drink my last liquid cleanse of the day. Looking forward to my shake tommor morning and especially looking forward to lunch!

First Day of Cleanse - We Survived!

Well, it's almost the end of day 1 and we survived the cleanse.  My husband was a little disappointed when I came home from work and he asked if he got any "real" food today - the answer is NO.  Basically, our day consisted of a "Cleanse for Life" drink 4 times a day, 2 "snack pellets" 2 - 3 times a day(which are really nasty), an "accelerator" pill 2 times a day, and plenty of water.  The brochure said we could have an apple if we were really hungry, so we each had 1 apple in the afternoon.  It was the best apple I ever ate!

My one problem is a headache which I had most of the day - it's finally gone away.  I'm a huge iced tea drinker.  Granted, I drink mostly green tea, but it still has caffeine.  I'm pretty sure the headache was my body going through withdrawl.  No caffeine for me (at least for another 8 days)!  We really have just been peeing quite a bit.  I don't feel bad - a litle hungry at times, but nothing I can't stand.  I even went to the gym and worked out.

Tommorow is a repeat of day two.  After that, we have 5 days of shakes for breakfast and dinner and a regular meal at lunch.

One day down and eight more to go!!   

Isagenix cleanse

My husband wanted to "jumpstart" his plan to get healthy and asked me to do a cleanse with him.  I have done a fruit and vegetable cleanse in the past, but initially I wasn't too thrilled with doing another one (it's been many years since my last one).  But, my husband said if I didn't do it with him, he probably wouldn't be able to go through it.  I thought about it, and being the good wife that I am ;-)   decided I could do a 9-day cleanse.

If anyone is interested, we are doing the Isagenix 9-day cleanse.  It looks awesome, but I just hope I can survive the full 9-days.  I am a pretty disciplined person, so I am thinking I'll make it. The first two days are "cleanse" days - that means only the cleanse with an accelerator, plenty of water, and some of their "snacks."  I think those will be the hardest 2 days.  Then, we get 5 days of shakes plus a lunch consisting of fruits, vegetables and protein.  That is followed by another 2 days of cleansing.

My plan is to post our progress on my blog.  I am taking before and after measurements - which I will share at the end. 

We are in prepration phase tonight and my husband is full of questions - and complaints.  Now mind you, he is the one who wanted to do this!  He asked if he can have a beer during anytime in the 9 days - of course the answer is NO - are you crazy!  He opened up the "snacks" and said he thinks our cat's treats are more filling than these.  I was able to comfort him by telling him he could have an apple or 6 raw almonds or a celery stick if he got really hungry.  Yes, my husband is off to the grocery store as we speak to buy a dozen apples and celery sticks (he already has the almonds)!

2-5-7-10 Bags

I am having a Premier jewelry party at my home on Sunday and I made some 2-5-7-10 boxes to give as a gift to everyone who attends my party (or places an order before the party). I wanted to do something with a jewelry or "bling" theme so this Rubber Romance stamp was perfect. I added Stampin Up! Dazzling Diamonds to give it a little more sparkle. Of course, what better to put in the boxes for a goup of women than some chocolates! So far, I have made 25 boxes - I would rather have too many rather than not enough.

If you have never made the 2-5-7-10 boxes they are really easy to make. There is a great tutorial at Splistcoaststampers if you need instructions. I have to tell you, I recently purchased a Scor-Pal and this made these boxes even easier to make. I think I was able to score them in half the time in would normally take. My Scor-Pal was worth every penny! I found mine at Archiver's and was able to use my 30% off coupon - even better.

The Details: Stamp: Rubber Romance Paper: Assorted Stampin Up! Ribbon: Stampin Up!, Misc: Copic Markers, Scallop Scissors, and Dazzling Diamonds.

Thanks for stopping by and looking!

Coffee anyone?

Well, it wasn't a good weekend for stamping, but I did manage to get one card finished. I was in Joann's this weekend and found the cutest K & Company brads that I just had to find a use for them. I made this card using Inky Antics stamps - and my K & Co brad. I actually designed the card around the brad - I picked the paper and ribbon that would match and went from there. Since it was a deep chocolate brown I thought something with a coffee theme was in order. See what you think. I hope you like it!

Details:

Stamps: Inky Antics. Paper: Stampin Up! Chocolate Chip, Designer Paper Misc: K & Co brads

Bad Blogger

I'm sorry I've been such a bad blogger - seems I just never have enough time to stamp. By the time I get everything done around the house it's usually time to go to bed! This weekend I picked 6.5 pounds of strawberries at a local greenhouse. The strawberries are hydraponic so you just stand and cut them off the stem - pretty neat. It took me about 20 minutes to pick them. Then, I made strawberry freezer jam. I was able to get 20 jars - which was 3 batches. It came out pretty good, even if I do say so myself. Next, I am going to try peach jam.

Well, here's a card I haven't shown you before. I just love the American Art Stamps Emerson line - so funny. The paper is from a Glitter Stack I bought ages ago at Joann's. I also used some Stampin Up! Barely Banana with it. I used Copics to color the image.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy 4th everyone! I hope everybody is having a great holiday! Today I am going to share this Rubber Romance card with you. Once again, I did some paper piecing to add some interest to her bags. I hope you like it!

The stamps are Rubber Romance and Inky Antics (sentiment).

I am hoping to find a little time to stamp this weekend - but I'm not counting on it.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

Sympathy Card for a Pet

Today I made a sympathy card for a friend who's dear dog died very suddenly. He was only three years old and had been in good health, so the loss was especially difficult. Anyone who is a "pet parent" knows how they become part of your family and you grieve over the loss just as you would a person. So, I wanted to send her a nice card to let her know I was thinking of her and understand what she is going through.

Details:
Stamps: My Favorite Things and Repeat Impressions
Paper: Stampin Up! Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White

Thanks for looking and I hope everyone has a great week!

Pretty in Pink

I had this pretty flower stamp that I never used and was in the mood for something pink. I love this satin ribbon - I got it in a ribbon share. If you have never participated in a ribbon share, I highly recommend joining one. It's a great way to get a large selection of ribbon. I have joined shares hosted by Jill and Jodi aka Confessions of a Ribbon Addict and I've never been disappointed. They will post the shares on their blogs when they are hosting one - so visit their blogs to see what they have going on.

Well, on to the card:

Details:

Stamp: Stamps by Judith Paper: Doodlebug Designs - Bubblegum Sweet Stripes and Stampin Up! Misc: Copic markers, satin ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Bella

Well today I finally found some time to stamp! I have a couple of birthday cards I wanted to get done this weekend, so tonight I am going to show you two very similar cards I made using the Birthday Cake Bella. I just love to paper piece her! As you can see, I used the same D.P. on both the cards - just switched how I used them! I also used my nestabilities to make the rectangle shapes - I just love my Nesties!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella and Endless Creations (sentiment) Paper: Stampin Up! Ink: Pallette Noir and Copic Markers Misc: Nestabilities

I didn't have much time to play with my latest toy -Kohi-Noor pencils that I bought at Pat Catan's. It was customer appreciation day at the store so I ended up getting an extra 10% off my purchase - that made the set of 24 pencils around $9. I played with them a little and I understand why people have been raving about them - they really do spread like butter. I can't wait to spend a little more time working with these!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope everyone had a good weekend - it's back to work for me!

Some wine

Here's another quick card I made on Sunday. I was pressed for time, so I didn't have a lot of time to be creative. This card is for my brother-in-law, who loves red wine. Again, I was challenged to make a masculine card so I thought this combination worked pretty well.

Details:

Stamps: Impression Obsession Paper: Creative Imaginations (Signature Collection), SU Basic Black, SU Old Olive Misc: Ribbon (from one of the ribbon shares I joined), Charm (again, I've had this one for awhile), Crystal effects (on the wine)

Father's Day

Well, it's been a hectic weekend. I had 13 people for dinner today for a Father's Day and birthday celebration. I was busy making cards this morning because I never found any time all week to stamp. My Dad is a farmer, so I knew I wanted to use my A Muse tractor stamp. It's difficult for me to come up with masculine cards, but I thought this paper from Paper Patch had a kind of "country" theme to it - kind of reminds me of my dad's red handkerchief's. Anyway, I hope you all like it.

Details:

Stamps: A Muse and Stamps by Judith (sentiment) Paper: The Paper Patch (Red Bandana), SU Basic Black and SU Whisper White Misc: Crystal Effects (on tractor wheels), Copic Markers, Tool Charms (I have no idea where I got these - I have had them forever)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all were able to enjoy time with your Dad's today!

Pretties Bella

I have been a subscriber to the Paper Pretties "card in a box" club since it first started and have really enjoyed getting the kits each month. They are no longer offering the subscriptions and I recently received one of my last boxes - I will miss them. I thought I would share with you the latest card I made using the kit. This is one of my favorites. Sorry, but I don't know where the large brads are from - but they are super cute!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella Paper: Bazill, Daisyd's Misc: Copic Markers

Brighton-Like Jewelry and a Bella

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I am finding it very difficult to find time during the week to blog after I come home from work. Typically, I come home from work and then get a few things done around the house, then go to the gym and workout. By the time I get home it's about 7:30 and I'm usually in bed by nine so I can get back up the next day at 4:45 AM and start all over again!

Anyway, on to my latest post. I haven't made much jewelry lately but I got inspired by these pewter hearts I found at the bead shop. I love Brighton jewelry and I think I did a pretty good job at making a "Brighton-like" bracelet and necklace. I already have had 2 people ask me to make them sets! Here's what they look like:

Now for my Bella! I needed a little Thank-you for a co-worker who agreed to help me out with a project. I haven't used my Ginger Blossom paper from Stampin Up! too much and that was my inspiration for the card. I started with the paper and then went from there! Hope you like it!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella and Paper Trey (sentiment) Paper: SU! Ginger Blossom, Groovy Guava, and Ruby Red Ribbon: SU! Groovy Guavy Misc: Nestabilities Ovals

Thank You Berry Much!

Today I have a PaperTrey card to show you. I love Paper Trey and I'm trying to use all my PaperTrey stamps that have never been inked. I thought this "Thank you berry much" sentiment was so cute, and perfect for summer. I added Diamond Glaze to the center berry to make it "pop". Hope you like it!

Details:

Stamps: PaperTrey Ink: Stampin Up! Real Red and Garden Green Paper: Stampin Up! Real Red and PaperTrey white Misc: Oval Nestabilities, Real Red Eyelets, Red Dotted Ribbon, Diamond Glaze