Happy Fall Y'all

It's my favorite time of the year!  Now y'all know that I love, love, love decorating for Halloween and getting the house all ready for our punkin carving party and all the trick or treaters but sadly with the house on the market (I know....big eye roll....still????) I had to scale my décor way, way back.  Since last year we were living in Germany, it's been a couple of years since I've seen all my stuff but I keep telling myself it'll all feel new when I decorate next year.  LOL! I decided to just use my fall stuff and nothing that is halloweenie.....I know some people don't like the holiday or observe it so it's just scarecrows, punkins and other generic fall stuff this year.  I don't do scary, gruesome or anything like that but I do use a lot of black cats, witches and jack a lanterns so in order not to offend, they stayed in the storage bins.  AUGH.....please, please just sell my house already so I can resume my life again.

Ok enough about all that stuff and let's move onto the great things that have happened in the last few weeks.  I rejoined Weight Watchers in order to follow the dr's orders to lose weight and because I know the system works when you apply all the guidelines.  I've lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks and just feel so much better already.  I'm in control and accountable which works great for me.  I need to add exercise and then I'll really be able to drop some pounds.  I'm just taking it day by day....meal by meal....but it's getting easier all the time.  This weekend Mark really tested my will power by deciding that we were going to 5 Guys for cheeseburgers and fries.  There is nothing I love more than burgers and fries except maybe chocolate but I did wonderful.  I ordered just as I always do but I cut my burger right away and only ate a third of it.  I made sure to put it down between bites so I could thoroughly enjoy every bite and I even ate 20 fries with ketchup but again I made myself appreciate every one.  This is the first time I have ever left this place without feeling miserable and sick from overeating.  It was a HUGE DEAL for me and I'm so proud of myself. 

I also took part in my very first blog swap and what a wonderful time I had.  Amy from http://bumblebeelanecottage.blogspot.com  put together this awesome swap and I just couldn't get signed up quick enough.  I have always wanted to participate in one of her swaps but because of work and living overseas, I never felt like I could commit 100%.   Now the stars aligned and Amy picked Marsha from  http://www.tatteredchick.net/ to be my partner and what a partner she was!  Marsha is so talented and creative and I just loved everything she sent me.  Each little package was just amazing and let me share what we swapped with y'all.  She made everything from a tote bag to pantry cakes to punkin to black kitty.....well just see for yourselves what all she sent.  I was just blown away!!!!!

 

 

Just look at all my treasures!

 

You can hop over to Marsha's blog to see what I sent her because I forgot to take pictures of everything.  Oops!  I did snap a quick pic of these 2 little jewels.  The birdie's nest was an old canning jar lid set atop an old pewter candle stick that I found at an estate sale.  The patina on it was just wonderful and I just couldn't pass it up.  I also stitched up the black cat on 40 count over 1 and it's a Blackbird Designs pattern which I know just surprises everyone.  LOL!  What can I say, I've never seen a Blackbird Designs chart that I didn't just fall in love with.  Now I need to stitch this little one again for me. 

 

 

Well it's about time to go pick Mark up from work so I'd better get my shoes on.  Clarice and I have been staying in Tennessee with him during the week and then traveling back home on the weekends.  Clarice has adjusted really well and it makes Mark and I happier to be together with her during the week.