UGH! Apparently counting calories and colds don't mix.and other ramblings

"And she was just trucking along when she started to feel a little....off".  Yep!  That's how my week started.  I plugged along though, working out in the yard and doing some major house cleaning stuff.  As the week went along the feeling became more pronounce and as of Wed I had the cough and a scratchy throat.  I still functioned pretty well.  I don't feel bad per sea.  Just not as energetic and then this cough and throat is kind of a bore.  Problem is, when I feel like this I always, always, always, want to eat.  Especially carbs.  The combination of wanting to eat and not wanting to move can be detrimental over time.  I am just hoping to hold my ground, but I'm not gonna sweat it.  I should be on the up side in a few days and can get back on track.  Until then I will do the best I can to keep track of what I'm eating.  Making no promises as to how pretty the tally will be for now.  Stand by.

I have been productive this week, even with feeling puny.  I've completed a lot of sewing projects for my Etsy page.  I was happy to see an outfit I made sell a couple of days ago.  I've sold a lot of baby doll diapers and slips, but not many outfits.  I've since sold my first outfit.  I just sold this little number called "Little Boy's Sunday Best".

I had been feeling a little discouraged thinking I wasn't doing so hot on my Etsy shop.  I keep a running tally type account with my Quicken and it had I was in the black a about $100.  That's after expenses like Etsy fee's. shipping, supplies, etc.  At least I was in the black, but I felt like it was slow going.  On a lark I looked back over the last 30 days on my shop and found I had made $146 in the last 30 days.  Not too bad for 30 days, considering the fact that I'm just starting out.  I'm hopeful things pick up for the holidays.  On a frugal side note, I am always looking for baby fabric with which to make doll clothes.  While waiting for my son to get out of class, I strolled through our local Good Will store.  I lucked up and found a pair of white eyelet pillow shams for $2 and then 2+ yards of actual baby knit fabric for about $2.  While watching a show with Dh I ripped (by that I mean I used a seam ripper) apart one of the shams and got 5 yards of eyelet lace and then 2 decent panels of eyelet fabric.  I already have plans for the eyelet fabric.  I have a doll I'm working on.  By that I mean I am learning to restore her.  I plan to use the fabric to make her outfit.  Once I have it finished, I will post it along with the finished doll.

To help streamline my massive sewing endeavors, I moved my sewing machine table and stuff into the Mancave/Gym.  I have my little corner, but it doesn't affect the over all manliness of the room (ahem).  One day I'll have a sewing room (hope), but until then this is much easier.  Mainly due to the power strip that hold all the power for my serger, sewing machine, iron, and light.  With one switch I can turn everything on.  Now, instead of pulling out the ironing board every time I wanted to sew, I have a folded towel in place with which to press seams or hems etc.  When I'm working on large clothes for myself or Dh, I will need to pull out the ironing board, but for doll clothes I'm good.

Do you feel like I talk about dolls a lot?  I know.  I'm sorry.  Just a big kid I guess.   On a different note,  We did finally get a dryer.  Still using the uh solar dryer, much to our youngest dismay.  Difference is we can now toss the semi-dry clothes into the dryer for a couple of minutes to fluff so they are softer.  Once cold weather comes, we will use the dryer exclusively because it helps warm the house.  Until then we pioneer away.

So now that I've finished my lunch (I counted it and we are on track!), I'm off to go make some bread cause we are out and I do mean out!  Then off to more sewing.

Loving it!

Major overhaul before winter

So....sore...  I haven't worked like that in a long time.  Today we changed out the sand in the runs and coops, and moved the little coop in place so that both coops are at either end of the big wooden run.  As we moved the old sand, we would lug the full buckets of spent sand into the raised beds to be turned in later (probably tomorrow).  After removing the old sand it was time to shovel the new sand out of the truck and in to the new bed area.  We just finished up about an hour ago.  I now have had a shower and rested for a bit and can say I am really sore!  Every muscle in my back and shoulders hurts as well as my hands.  This is back breaking work, but very satisfying now that it's done.

After the sand was in place, we moved the little coop to attach to the big run.  We put the divider back up inside the run, giving one half to Garris and his ladies and the other half to the "babies".  It got rather comical while Dh was in the run putting the divider up.  The "babies" were in the run while he was working.  The white one kept pulling on his t shirt.  She wasn't hurting him.  He seemed to be more of a curiosity.  He picked her up and started petting her crooning "I'm gonna lover her and feed her and call her George!".  Then he let go of her and she just sat there looking around and hanging out in his lap.  Meanwhile the two black hens came up and started pulling on his t shirt.  It was funny...Guess you just have to be there.

So now we have everybody cleaned out and spruced up. Ready for winter time.  We will repeat this fun in about 6 months.  Everyone is watered and fed and eggs are collected for the day.  Good.  I'm ready to call it a day.  The rest of my day I think I will sew, but not doll clothes.  I need some sweat pants for winter time.  Right now I have shorts or jeans, but nothing to wear just around.  DH wants some sweat pants too.  I think I have some fabric that will work and so I plan to do that tonight while he's at a show with our oldest son.  Well I will sew and go pick up our youngest after he gets off work.

On a cute side note, I thought I would post a somewhat appropriate pic for your viewing pleasure.  Have a great weekend!

Well I guess I'm a walkin contridiction

So it would seem I guess.  Since our government in it's infinite wisdom (not) can't seem to catch up with all of the studies regarding the benefits of full fat dairy, our medical providers continue to recommend the low fat version.  Ya know cause the government doesn't do anything wrong.  In fact, I believe a lot of the info out there is wrong.  Just plain wrong.  Are you wondering what has sent me on this ti raid today?  Scientific proof that I'm onto something.  Something happened today that brought about one more trip by me down the weight loss blogging lane.

Today was my yearly appointment with my endocrinologist.  She has been unaware of my weight loss, and so I was excited to get to this appointment.  Seriously could not wait to get to the weigh in and see her.  The wait was worth it.  She was thrilled.  Not only weight, but A1C levels are way down and now there is "No sign of pre-diabetes in you"(her words).  My pulse, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc were all down and in a normal range.  All of this magic happened not because I ate more oats, took a medication, followed some weird diet, etc.  In fact I told her I'd been concerned about my cholesterol because I'd been having eggs just about every day.  BTW, cholesterol went from 188 to 169.  Anyhoo, it happened because I counted calories, controlled portions, and was active.  Now I know that sounds a lot like dieting, but for one thing.  I counted calories and controlled portions with REAL food; sure nuff honest to goodness full fat, or sweetened varieties, leans meats, fruits and veggies.  And bread, I do have bread some.

I've come here to reiterate that 1200 calories of real food IS SO different than 1200 calories of fat free sugar free food.  I know with the diet foods you feel like you can eat more.  Visually it looks like more food.  Problem is your body knows the difference.  When I ate that way, I never could stay on track.  By evening I was eating everything in sight.  I may last a few days, but nothing longer than that.  Eating real food has allowed me to be in control.  All of these years of fighting to stay on track and beating myself up when I failed, are gone.  It wasn't my lack of will power.  It was my body fighting to function correctly.  There are a lot of things in my life for which I can accept blame.  This isn't one of them.

By the way.  My activity is not a structured workout routine.  In fact I'll balk at that.  My activity is living my life.  I am active in housecleaning, lawn maintenance, gardening, etc.  What needs doing normally is my activity.  Now if I was still at a sedentary job I may still have to have a structured workout routine.  Not sure I'm mentally there to make myself exercise.  As a result, not sure I would have been this successful if I still sat at a desk.  Never thought I would hear myself say this, but if I ever went back to work (outside the home), I would have to have an active job.

We can argue the benefits or necessity of a structured workout verses an active lifestyle, but the one thing I can't accept is the need for diets and/or diet foods.   It's like I was telling a friend the other day.  It's like dieting is our drug of choice.  The diet industry is the pusher.  They give you the first week free or some other discount to get started.  You're successful for a time.  Some more than others.  Then it isn't sustainable and it's your fault?  These plans are set up to either keep you on them indefinitely or have you coming back repeatedly.  Either way, they get your money.  You are a source of income.  No more, no less.

I feel like Ponce De Leon, with the fountain of youth, except I've found what I sought.  I have the answer!  I just want to tell everyone!  You don't have to buy my book.  You don't have to buy special foods.  You don't even have to buy special ingredients.  There is no need for fitness equipment.  Funny.  God saw fit to give us everything we need for our bodies to be able to function at full capacity.  Why do we feel the need to change anything?  He gave us food to eat (all food groups cause He's thorough like that).  He gave us muscles to move, and He gave us his word.  Proverbs 23: vs 1-3 says "When you sit and dine with a ruler, note well what is put before you.  Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.  Do not crave his delicacies for that food is deceptive".  Seems a bit of an extreme, but the message is clear.  Control yourself.  Proverbs 25:16 " Have you found honey?  Eat only what you need that you not have it in excess and vomit it.". So, yea, a little sweet is fine, but don't make yourself sick.  Notice it doesn't say instead eat some artificial synthetic (was planning on being paint thinner) sweetener to save calories.  Just sayin.

I'm tired of people having to put their life on hold to watch their weight.  I can't do this or that because I can't expose myself to "this or that".  Family events are mind fields and not something to be enjoyed.  I'm tired of not wanting to be in a picture because it's a reminder of my size.  I'm tired of worrying about the holidays coming around because it means rich high calorie food.  I'm tired of feeling like I'm not strong enough to control myself.  That there is something wrong with me.  Some defect no one else has.  My life is not on hold anymore.  I am in control.  I can go where I want, eat what I want.  Family events are now events only.  I will proudly stand in a picture even though I still have another 40 lbs to go.  Holidays are holidays.  I was not and am not defective.  What I was eating was.

Please, please, please.  Hear what I'm saying.  Try it.  To save calories, cut out what is "eh" and keep what is a "have to have" (veggies and fruits are have to have you know).  Mine was bread, pasta or rice.  I keep what is the most enjoyable to me and save the bread/pasta/rice for last.  If I have the calories I may add a little, but it comes after coffee with cream and sugar and an evening smore.  Priorities my dear Watson.

I made a pumpkin pie this morning cause it's 57 degrees which here is cool for the beginning of fall.  I wanted it for breakfast, but it wasn't ready in time.  I prefer it chilled anyway so it will be on the docket for tomorrow.  It is true pumpkin pie minus one thing; a crust.  Now that it's out of the oven, I'm on my way outside to finish up some work in the garden.  Tonight is a pizza night.  I'll be at my moms, but the guys want pizza.  When I come in I'll make the crust and get every thing together for them to bake it.  See?  Activity is my workout.  This is how I do it.  Yours will be different, but for one thing.  No diet foods Please!

Off and Rolling

I know it's been quiet on here the past couple of weeks.  Bread has still been baked.  Laundry has still been hung.  I bought a months worth of groceries last week, and the garden has received some attention.  Not as much attention as it probably needs, but it has gotten some.

My blog and my garden have suffered from "sewing frenzy".  Sewing frenzy occurs when your proprietor has a deadline self imposed to get items into an online Etsy shop before the holidays.  As a result of said deadline, the sewing machine goes non stop.  Since no one has yet to invent a home self propelled sewing machine; the garden and the blog have suffered.

Now on the up side, I have begun making SALES in my Etsy shop.  My little store is in the black about $100.  Doesn't sound like much I'll warrant you, but it's a start.  It sure beats being $100 in the red.  Here are some of my latest additions:

Add to this replacement sets of cloth diapers for dolls (all sizes) and two slip/panties sets for 18-20 inch dolls and you have a busy sewing machine.  Should anyone be interested in my store they can see it  at

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeaTimeDollClothes?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Apparently you need to copy and paste this address.  Blogger doesn't seem to want to let me put the link in.

Today, however, was a gardening day!  Yay!  Back to sewing this afternoon though so don't get too excited.  Anyway, it is time to change out the sand the chickens use in their run for fresh sand.  It is also time to put the garden to bed for the winter.  So, combining both tasks we shoveled out the old sand into some of the raised beds and turned it in.  But, in the middle of this task, we changed our mind and, instead of putting in new sand, we made it so our chickens can free range.  At least the older ones.  DH put a door on the coop we can use to shut them in at night.  The baby hens got the big run and the older chickens are out and about.  We have another run ready should we need to get them back in. We replaced the sand that was in the old run with dirt since it is no longer necessary for them to have a sand bed.  They seem happy with the change.  The babies looove the new run they have.  All got an up grade.  I was able to complete two beds and so will cover them with plastic probably tomorrow.

So I can safely say I have done something besides sew.  In fact I have now blogged And gardened! Now I need to go organize/move my sewing area to make it more user friendly.  One day I will have a sewing room, but since I am not in a huge hurry to have an empty nest, I will make due with what I have.  You guys have a great day!

Okay that's done!

So I promised to post pics when I had the runner finished.  I just finished it so here are the runner and pillows.  The Brocade and trim was fabric purchased at a thrift store for about $1.  The trim was fromm fabric left over from recovering two of my dining room chairs.

Here is the pic of the chairs from before so you get a better idea of the trim.

My Adventurous Week

It has been an interesting week filled with wonderful new accomplishments.

For years now I've been interested in Composition dolls.  These dolls were created in the early 20th century up til the advent of vinyl dolls in the 50's.  They were originally created to be more resilient than bisque.  They are less likely to break, but composition is pressed sawdust molded in the shape of a doll and painted; many times hand painted. They have to have a regulated temperature and humidity environment or the wood expands and the paint can crack.  Water is not a composition dolls friend.  In the 1940's composition dolls started to have soft bodies, but composition head, arms, and legs.  Up until the 40's the dolls were all composition.  I like all composition dolls because, to me, it's an art form that has passed, and their faces are so precious.  While I do like these dolls, my interest lies in rescuing them.  Taking a damaged doll and attempting to bring it back to a new life.  I think of Toy Story a lot when dealing with dolls.  No I don't think they are alive, but you never know so I am really careful about how I treat my toys.  We all know what happened to Sid.  I first learned to clean, re-string, and re paint faces.  A couple of weeks ago at an antique store, I found a doll in need of more major repairs than I ever attempted.  I bought her for $12 and have been working on her.  What stated off as making a new soft body, cleaning, and maybe a touch up of paint, has turned into s full out learning session in repainting the whole doll cracked legs and all.  Once done she will have had a new body created, re-painted with an air brush, face re-painted, and all arms and legs attached.  I also intend to make her a new outfit just for her and then she will be put up for "adoption".  Here is her before pic

Here is the body in progress

Here she is again after cleaning and with her new body.  She is missing a left leg and so I am in the market for one.  Until then she will be handicapped.

You can't see it in the pictures, but the paint has peeled off of her head on the top where the two halves of the mold were put together.  This is common.  I have removed the flaked off paint and am waiting on the putty to arrive to patch and paint the area again.  Once that happens her restoration should move much faster.


In addition to playing with dolls I've had an over stuffed chair that has been the bane of my existence.  While definitely the most comfortable chair in the house, it is or was the ugliest.  The upholstery had torn and was stained and the pinkish color was blotchy.  I should have had the fore sight to take a before picture, but I was so eager to get started I forgot until it was too late.  But I can show the after.  Here tis

I have since finished two throw pillows for the living room and am working on a runner for my dining room table.  I will post pics of them later.  The chair is now "Mama's chair".  As it should be.  The great part of this is the fabric came from a thrift store.  I got all of the fabric for this chair for $8.  All of it.  Aside from that the only other cost was some upholstery staples and my time.  It was easy peasy (uh remind me I need to replace my sz 14 sewing needles). The contrasting fabric you see on this was from an old king size bed skirt.  I had donated the comforter and shams to a thrift store not realizing the bed skirt was left out.  I ran out of the Blue denim and needed something to help.  I found this during my fabric search.  You can't tell it by the picture, but the fabric is brown with the same color blue in design.  The pillows are brown and the sofa soon will be.  The table runner will also tie in even though it will be in the dining room.

It has been a fun week, but tiring.  Feeling pretty good though.  Moral of the story!  Make the most of what you have!  Can it be given new life instead of thrown away?  What are some of your rescues?

Not all calories are created equal.

Something I have realized in my weight loss journey.  Not all calories are created equal (hence the title of my post).  Now I know calories from veggies and fruits are better than calories from junk.  That isn't what I'm talking about.  Most people get that.  I have discovered 1200 calories of real food are different than 1200 calories of fat free sugar free diet foods.  Seriously, they are.  Now I'm not quoting some study or recommendation from the powers that be.  No, this is only the observations of a woman with vast dieting experience.

 Based on my weight and weight loss goals, I get 1200-1500 calories a day.  1500 if I move and 1200 if I'm a slug.  It's been that way every time I've dieted.  I've used Sparkpeople before you see.  I've used weight watchers, and other plans too.  Each time I felt the diet food was my crutch.  It helped me get to the end of the day; or so I thought.  Instead, by the end of the day, I would be ready to eat the paint off the walls.  It was only through sheer will power I would get through the day without falling off the wagon so to speak.  Most times I wouldn't be successful, and would eat, and eat, and eat; scolding myself as I put something else in my mouth. You see it was all my fault.  I was weak.  I felt like an addict and wondered if I was actually addicted to food.

Now I know that none of that was true.  I wasn't weak.  I wasn't addicted, and Diet foods were not a help to me.  You see the human body is an amazing thing.  It is like the coolest computer ever.  It knows what it needs to function.  Not just carbs or protein, etc.  It knows what vitamins and minerals, etc it needs for any given task.  It relies on us to give our bodies what they need. It also relies on us to give our bodies what they need in a manner they recognize.  When our bodies don't recognize a component we ingest, they STORE IT!  Fat is the extra anything that comes into your body.  It's the stuff you didn't need to begin with.  Fat isn't just extra calories.  It is the extra whatever not needed by the body.  The body saves it for later.  The flip side of that coin is the fact that your body WILL get what it needs.  It will trigger you to eat until it gets what it wants.  So if you are filling your body with unrecognizable highly processed diet foods, you will have a mighty hard time staying on track.  I know.  I've been there.

Since I've started getting my 1200-1500 calories through real food; whole milk/whole milk products, Butter, Lean meats, fruits, veggies, Sugar, CHEESE (glorious cheese, NOT AMERICAN), I have discovered I'm not hungry!  I get to the end of the day.  I am in range for calories,fat, protein, and carbs, and I'm satisfied.  In fact I have discovered I will get full faster and eat less anyway.  Notice my list of foods I eat.  I'm not "low fatting" this thing.  I keep my fats in range according to sparkpeople by making sure the high fat stuff is tempered with lean meats or fruits veggies. etc.  But when I eat something that is supposed to have fat in it, I eat the full fat version.  Just less of it and I count it!

Time to break with the powers that be and go by logic.  Tamp down those voices in  your head that say you can't, you're not strong enough,  Try the old fashioned portion control and calorie counting with real food and see how you feel.  If I'm wrong, I'm wrong.  To each his own.  But I bet I'm not wrong.