Green Berry Wreath

I love wreaths! I had been looking for a green berry wreath everywhere and couldn’t find one that I liked. I thought to myself, as I often do, “I can totally make one”! So I went to the craft store and got all the stuff. Its super easy and only took me about an hour or so to make. Unfortunately I don’t have the step by step pictures but I will do my best to explain it.

You will need:
A plain wicker wreath (you can find these almost anywhere for pretty cheap)
Green Berry Sprigs (I got 2 different sizes of berries, 3 sprigs of each size, plus one extra , 7 sprigs total)
Crafting Wire
Glue Gun

Start by trimming the ends of the sprigs so they aren’t so long, but don’t cut the berries off. I tucked the end of the sprig in the wreath and wrapped a piece of crafting wire from front to back tightening the wire and cutting it in the back. This way you won’t see the twisted wire pieces. You will have to kind of fish the wire through the wreath so it doesnt show. Bend the berry sprigs to look how you want them and continue with the crafting wire all the way around the wreath. I alternated the different sizes of berry sprigs so it would have a bit more dimension. I ended up buying 1 extra sprig of berries so I could cut smaller pieces off and fill in where it looked sparce. This was my first wreath and it inspired me to do more. I think it would be so cute with a big ribbon tied to it but since the room its hanging in already has SO MUCH RIBBON I decided against that:)

Motivation Monday #1

I do realize that today is Tuesday but I was not able to post yesterday as I was running the Marathon! It went well and I hope to do another one day!

Motivation Monday! What is it? Well, I love quotes! I am a quote collector and love the motivation I find when I read a good quote. I enjoy looking here and there for inspiration and motivation from the words of others so each Monday will be “Motivation Monday” with a quote or two for the week. I will do my best to let you know where I got them because 95% of the time they are from someone or somewhere else, I cannot take credit for them.

I ran across this particular quote last week as I was looking forward to running the marathon. The training had been difficult and very time consuming and when I saw it I thought of all those times, prior to the marathon training, that I said “I’m so tired, I’ll go tonight” or “I’ll go tomorrow”. I never feel good when I say this to myself, in fact I feel pretty lazy. I learned through the marathon training that getting my booty out of bed and going for a run made me feel much better throughout the day and my confidence in my abilities got a little boost as well! My goal is to stick to my morning workouts and step them up a notch!!

This one is great!! Sometimes I just need to say to myself "Sally, Put your big girl panties on and deal with it. No crying or complaining, just DO IT". It's another kick me in the butt quote!

I hope this Monday Motivation gives you the extra “Umph” you are looking for, it did for me!!

The $100 Store

So last night I went to dinner with my one of my BFF’s and we were discussing a store that we both frequent and can never quite get out of for less than $100. There is the occasional shopping trip here or there that we can squeeze by for less than that but it’s rare. What could I possibly be talking about? You all know, Costco!

I once read an article about Costco and the author said something like “Of course I need this 5 lb pack of cheese balls”, “Look at this a 10 lb tub of mayo” and “We totally need this massive jar of artichokes”. I laugh out loud because it can be true. Where else can you find 30 rolls of toilet paper for that cheap, or 2 gallons of milk for under about 5 bucks? Not to mention all of the other treasures you run across while pushing your massive cart through hordes of people who just can help but stop at every single sample station while there cart is in the middle of the aisle. Sound familiar? I often time look at my cart and think “What the heck did I buy”, while other times I am proud to see all the things I got for $114 bucks?

As my friend and I discussed it we came to the conclusion that there is not much strength in numbers when shopping at this warehouse. When we go with the husbands we seem to find even more extremely useful things: a lifetime supply of batteries, the GPS system that saved our last vacation, TV’s, baby equipment, enough Round Up to kill everything in our yard and all those other must have purchases that are too good to pass by.

All of this reminds me of a Modern Family episode when Cam and Mitchell are talking about this expensive gym membership that Cam purchased. It was this outrageous amount of money and as Mitchell was calling him out on it Cam said “The more you spend the more you save”. Ha ha! This is how I feel sometimes at Costco, I realize that I am going to buy a little bit more but I can buy the huge pack of lettuce and throw half of it away for less than it will cost me to by the small back at the store.

The lesson I have learned is to share. When I get the perishable bulk items that I know are going to go bad I try to disburse them throughout my family. I think that’s the way to go because, all joking aside, Costco does have some pretty sweet deals. And let’s just be honest I love getting a good deal, LOVE IT!!!

Another helpful Costco tip: DON’T GO ON SATURDAY. Unless you want to shop with everyone else and their dog, their grandma and their second cousin you should avoid Costco on Saturday’s at all costs. Lunch time is not really promising either if you are in a hurry. I would say the best time to go is right after work in the middle of the week or around 8 at night. Sometimes you can swing it if you get there right when they open but it can be hit and miss. Even though the parking lot looks packed, it’s not quite as bad once you’re inside.

One more thing, I know all these useless facts about shopping at Costco keep coming, I have found that I spend less if I give myself a strict time limit in the store. That’s why I go on my way home from work because I usually have to be somewhere else and I won’t get distracted quite as easily.

My heart does go out to all you Costco shoppers, many good times have been spent at the $100 store. You’ve gotta love those savings!!!

26.2 ~ Training for a Marathon

One day a few months ago I decided that I wanted to run a marathon! I have done several races: 5K, 10K, half marathons and a few Ragnars, but for some reason I just felt the need to run a marathon. I figured that this was a good time since I don’t have kids, I thought the training would be a bit easier. Here’s the thing, it’s HARD. But so great all at the same time!! I was planning to run it by myself and my friend, at her request we will call her Fannie Hicks, decided to run it with me. The training has been good with mostly successful long runs and with the marathon in 2 weeks I am getting very excited and nervous.

During the marathon journey I have learned a few things that you don’t really think about until you are in training. I am NO expert on this but I know what is and isn’t working for me. Here are a few marathon training tips for those who are interested. Take it for what it’s worth because this is my first marathon, that being said though I have consulted with several people about the training and received their thoughts and advice. There are tons of things to do when training but here are a couple that I have been thinking about.

Eat before you run. I do my long runs in the morning and if I don’t eat before I run I don’t have anything in my “tank” to keep me going. I have tried peanut butter on toast and that does seem to work well but the past few weeks I have been eating Wheaties Fuel. This has been great and kept me going for about 9 to 10 miles.

Eat something rejuvenating every 45-60 min during your long runs. There are many things you can eat to give you a boost of energy: Shot blocks, Goo (Gels), Jelly Beans, etc. I have tried these things but have a weird gag reflex and cant swallow them (ha ha). So I found the Snickers Marathon Bar and it has been good for me. The trick with eating something is that you have to do it before you feel like you are ready, otherwise you will not be on top of your need for that extra boost and you could tire. Speaking for experience of course.

Hydration! Hydration! Hydration! I have learned from not staying hydrated that you have to drink every 3 miles or so, especially when it’s hot. A friend of mine suggested running with a camel back and sipping the water as you run so you don’t have a ton of it sloshing in your stomach. I think this is a personal preference. Gatorade is very nice on long runs because it tastes good and is a little easier to swallow. Whatever you choose to drink just makes sure you are doing it often. I run with a water belt so I don’t have to go the night before and put water out. It takes a little getting used to but it’s worth it.

Make sure that whatever you eat and drink is what you are using during your training. If you don’t get your body used to it you may have some stomach/bathroom issues while running which is no fun.

Having a running buddy makes a big difference. Those mornings when you just want to stay in bed are easier when you know someone is outside waiting for you. Its nice to have someone to talk with, run in the dark with and be there to help motivate you when you need it. My friend Fannie has been a big difference in my training! Gotta love the buddy system:)

The last thing I will suggest at this time is cross training. I haven’t done as much cross training as I should have because I didn’t realize how important it is until my 18 miler when my legs got so tired. Do some interval training on your off days, sprinting for a period of time and then slowing to a jog. I usually do shorter timed intervals because I am a slow runner but it’s up to you. Also, strengthen your legs by doing leg lifts, wall sits, lunges and hip thrusts (these are what I do but anything like this is good). Having strong legs will help you be able to run longer distances.

Some other things to consider are: Stretching, music selection, clothing choice, and wearing the right shoes.

Training for a marathon has been such a good experience because it’s something I never really thought I could do and now I am at a point where I feel like I am ready to run 26.2 miles!! It’s a great feeling to work hard for something and feel that you can do it!! If you have any questions feel free to email me at sallyannelizabeth@live.com!

Meet the Ladies

Ever since I can remember my Mom and Auntie have been crazy gardeners. They both plant these beautiful pots every year that are to die for! So naturally when we got our own house I needed to get in on this sweet sight. I went shopping with them in April and bought a few flats of flowers and pulled them in and out of the garage every day so they wouldn’t freeze. Crazy, I know. When the time came to plant my pots I went to my Auntie’s house and we planted them (I actually watched while she did it). But I can say that I have had the lesson and am confident that I can do it next year.

My Auntie plants over 30 of her own pots for her house and they all have themes: The Bold & Beautiful, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Pretty in Pink and many more. When I brought my own pots home I felt that in order for me to want to water them every single day that I needed to have some kind of connection with them, so I decided to name each of them (cheesy I know). They are coming along quite nice and I am loving how pretty they look.

Lessons learned with planting: Good soil, Miracle Grow (add this on the day you plant the flowers) Osmocote (you can find this at any home and garden store, they are little pellets that you add to each hole before putting the plant in) and consistent watering! Make sure you water them enough especially in this hot weather. I know it sounds crazy but I tell my plants that they look beautiful and to keep growing, I feel a little silly when I do it but, as you can see, it’s paying off!

So without further ado, meet the ladies.

Doloris


Cecilia




The Grandma Pot: Arli



Penelope (top)




Edna (bottom)

Introductions...

Hello! My name is Sally Ann Elizabeth and I am happy to introduce you to my blog. I love making new things and decided that one of the best ways to find and learn about them was to follow a few blogs. After doing this for a few months I have been inspired to start my own! One of my favorite things is seeing a project and saying “I could totally make that”. I intend to show many different things from crafting to gardening (the little bit I know), cooking to sewing, and hopefully everything in between. While I am not a pro at any of these things I love that feeling that comes with creating! I hope to show you some fun things that will get your creativity flowing without having to spend a ton of money. As I start this blogging process please be patient with my lack of computer skills as I try to figure out what works best with all the details of the blogger site. I hope to be up and running soon!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself”
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