Valentine Tablescape on a Budget

I love coming up with whimsical table settings for dinner parties. Tomorrow evening we'll be having our "Gourmet Group" for dinner to celebrate two birthdays and Valentine's Day. Today I'm having fun putting the table together. I always start with neutral basics: simple white dinnerware and sterling flatware.

I'm lucky in that my DH is cooking this dinner. He's Italian and will be making his "famous" veal parmesean. That leaves me time to work on the appetizers, the bar, and the table setting. Here's the mess on my craft table this morning as I began the process. (This is my fifth week back on Weight Watchers and I'm proud to say, I didn't touch even one piece of the candy!)

For every dinner party, I make something that will serve the purpose of a "placecard" and I always come up with little "party favors" for guests to take home with them. Even adults love that! This time I combined the two: the "placecard" is the favor.

The cute rickrack felt heart pouches were only $1.00 each at Target's "Dollar Spot" (I love that little corner!). I used fabric paint to add names to the hearts (the "placecard" part) and then filled each heart with Valentine candy to take home (the "party favor" part).

Oops! Forgot the napkins!

I found this perfect red tablecloth at Goodwill for $4.00. It's so long that, even with both leaves in my table, it had to be tucked under. And it washed with absolutely no need for ironing. I think this one is a keeper! The Valentine table runner was another Target bargain for $3.00, also at the "Dollar Spot".

I had candy left over so decided to use it in Valentine mason jars for friends who will not be at tomorrow evenings dinner party.

These were simple to make and just used up things I already had: jars, doilies, and ribbon.

I felt pretty good about coming up with a tablecloth, runner, "placecards" and favors for all of  $14.00. All I needed to add was the candy!

This post is linked to:

Flaunt It Friday #434 at Chic On a Shoestring

Best of the Weekend Link Part at Calypso In the Country

Farmhouse Friday Link Party #92 at The Painted Hinge

Sundays at Home at Little Farmstead

                                              Homestyle Gathering #5 at My Wee Abode

The Fat Trap

Since I last wrote about the "150 Project" back in April of last year, I really fell off the "healthy lifestyle" wagon. I just wasn't motivated. As a result, between then and now, I've gained at least 15 pounds -  and I wasn't tiny then!

 Christmas was the final straw.  I thought I went to a party looking like a foxy "Mrs. Claus" and then I saw this photo. Seeing it was a reality check, for sure.  Look at those boobs! Look at those arms! Look at that invisible waistline! I have to face it:

I'm fat.

So three weeks ago I rejoined Weight Watchers ("WW")  to work my way back to my goa weight of 150. It was a relief, actually. My eating had gotten out of control with travel and the holidays.  And, (Tada!) it worked: I lost 7.3 pounds my first week back!

I also went way out of my comfort zone and joined Planet Fitness.

Which I love because it's a "no judgement zone". 

There are people working out there of every age, shape and size.

My kind of place!

I always hated gym class in school, which is probably how I ended up fat. Running the track was my idea of hell. But as of week #3, this gym isn't so bad. I can exercise, or not, and work at my own pace. I usually do 2 miles on the treadmill at a fast walk (3.0 mph) and then some circuit training and stretches.  I'm lucky here too: DH is my personal trainer!

I've been going to the gym 3-4 times a week for the past three weeks and finally eating right - lots of chicken and fish. Tomorrow is weigh-in day at Weight Watchers. I'll let you know how I do.

Meantime, hope springs eternal!

Do you have to work hard to maintain a healthy weight or does it just come naturally for you? Have you found that the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight? Or, like some of my friends of a certain age, have you reached the point where it just doesn't matter and you've accepted yourself at whatever size you are?  I'd love to hear how others cope with "feeling fat". Is it just me?

Yours in Bumble Bee Snack Packs!

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday # 485 at A Stroll Through Life
Amaze Me Monday #300 at Dwellings

Procrastination

Happy New Year from Maine! I haven't posted for almost two months and I apologize to my few, but loyal, blog friends. I love to write, take photos, decorate, or go on adventures and blog about them and I've missed doing it. I promise to do better in 2019!

Winter has arrived here in coastal Maine but it has been mild so far. This is our street; across from it is beautiful Casco Bay, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean near Portland (the "other" Portland!)

With my stair project done, you'd think I would have taken a break but . . . you'd be wrong. The stairs came out so good sans wall-to-wall carpet that I plowed right ahead and started on the second floor, which houses my craft room, our master suite, and a second-floor laundry.

Which required squeezing every bit of furniture, clothing, and decor into the laundry room and bathroom while we worked on the floors. What a mess!

Here is a "before"picture of our master before the icky old aqua carpet was removed. 

We replaced it with red oak flooring. It was quite a learning process for me as there are so many new flooring products on the market today. I had no idea about the virtues of vinyl planks vs. engineered hardwood vs. laminate and so on.  After lots of research and speaking with helpful professionals,  we chose red oak engineered hardwood to compliment the floors downstairs.

We did have the flooring professionally installed and it looks beautiful. What a change!

 Here it is in my craft room, one side . . . 

And the other.

When  the floors were done, I decided to add some curtains to the craft room. I love how "boho" and unexpected these are, with their mix of colors and textures.

And since I've been reading at my craft table (and I LOVE to read), I treated myself to my very own reading corner in the newly-floored craft room. I had the lamp, bought a little C-table at Home Goods for my books, and ordered the chaise from Wayfair.  FYI: This was my first purchase from Wayfair and I couldn't be more pleased; they sent free fabric samples when I was deciding on the fabric and shipping was free and fast. If you've never seen my craft room, here's a link to a post I did about it. I spend most of my time in this room!

By the time the second floor was back together, it was Thanksgiving. Literally. I love these little bottle-brush turkey place card holders I found at Home Goods. Only $1.99 each. I gave them to my sister as a hostess gift on Thanksgiving Day. Heck, she was doing the cooking this year!

We  had barely finished all the Thanksgiving leftovers when the Christmas season got started. The first two weekends in December are "Christmas Prelude" in Kennebunkport , a great time for Christmas shopping, fireworks, and catching up with old friends.

Speaking of Kennebunkport, I have to acknowledge the passing of President Bush #41. He will be missed by all of us who he considered his neighbors. I am a liberal Democrat but knew him to be an exceptionally honest and caring man. He will be missed.

And then it was Christmas . . . .

I spent all my time making Christmas gifts and not enough of it working on my blog. 

I love this stamp. I had it made at Staples and use it to make my own gift tags, gift bags, gift wrap and Christmas cards on plain brown paper. Simple to wrap or embellish with plain old garden twine.

I found these vintage Bingo cards at an antique shop in North Carolina last March. 

With some cut and paste and a little ribbon, they made tree ornaments, a holiday banner for our fireplace, and Christmas cards for special friends.

I posted Tips for Stenciling Flour Sack Towels in August and, between then and December 25th, completed 46 (OMG!) of them to give as Christmas gifts. I found images I liked on the Internet and cut my own stencils on Mylar using an Exacto knife. 

                    The Kitchenaide mixer stencil took awhile to cut out but it's my favorite.

                                      Whew! No wonder I didn't have time left to blog!

             And then there were the driftwood Christmas trees to finish . . . 

Homemade Maine Christmas folk art with driftwood collected in Searsport, Maine.

But on Christmas morning, all of the preparation was worth it.

After Christmas Day, a walk on Wells Beach was exactly what was needed to center myself again.

For the New Year, I decided to go crazy and cut off all my hair. Really!

Here we are before; halfway before anyway . . . 

And after. 

Short, sassy, and oh so easy!

And, ever the optimist, I rejoined Weight Watchers AND Planet Fitness for 2019. 

Hope springs eternal!

Last weekend, we had a great day outdoors at the farm of our friends Survivor Bob and Peg Crowley in nearby Durham, Maine.  

The occasion was the Crowley's annual "Christmas Tree Burning Party".

So much fun and so nice to be outdoors on a mild winter's day .

Which brings me to today.

I think we're actually caught up.

I promise to be less of a blog-procrastinator in 2019.

Happy New Year!

Vintage Makeover: This Gets Personal!

I call my efforts to stay healthy "The 150 Project" because, at 5'5" tall and xx years old,  150 is my goal weight. When I was 40, my ideal weight was 120, at 50 I raised it to 130, at 60 it became 140, and now this Boomer is happy to maintain at 150. Which I haven't done in awhile.

When I was a kid, it was my ill fortune that my first name, "Cheryl", happens to rhyme with the word "barrel". I'll let you figure out the rest of the rhyme. I wasn't that big but was always "heavy set". Add to that a round face and, well . . .  you know.  Mom used to remind me that, "Sticks and Stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt you". Mom, God love her,  clearly did not have a first name that rhymed with "barrel".

I've been a  Lifetime Weight Watcher member since I first "made goal" back in the early 1980's. Since then, my weight has fluctuated from 105 (thanks to the "Divorce Diet") to 196 (the Nachos and Margaritas diet).  Having recently tried on my summer clothes (which didn't zip!) , I rejoined Weight Watchers ten days ago. It's my first time on "Freestyle" and, so far, I really like it, especially the list of  "200 No-point Foods".

Weight is such a sensitive issue for most women, me included. I am a well-educated, well-traveled, well-read, confident woman who has met Presidents in the Oval Office, and yet, I'm  still afraid to wear a sleeveless dress. I haven't bought a bathing suit in years. I actually dared to try one on in Target a couple of weeks ago and left the dressing room in tears. I'd rather walk over hot  coals than put myself through that again.



At one point, I decided to work with a personal trainer. Does it look like I'm having fun here? After a year, I hadn't lost a pound, although I have to admit working out was a big self-confidence builder and I did have a lot more energy. Unfortunately, the kettlebells eventually got the best of me and I ended up injuring my newly toned back. No more of that.

Last week, we received an invitation to a summer party in Kennebunkport. On it were the dreaded words, "Cocktail Attire Suggested".  Immediately my heart began to race. I love Kennebunkport, I love parties, I love my friends, but me in a cocktail dress?  I can hardly get my mind around the thought. Aren't cocktail dressed usually sleeveless? Form fitting? Slinky? Like bathing suits with longer skirts?

I have two months before I have to commit to "The Dress". So, I've emptied the "carb cupboard" and stocked the frige with lots of healthy foods. I know I can do this. This time, I just wish I could be smart enough to maintain my goal weight once I get there.

I'm lucky to have a supportive DH and the best Weight Watcher leader ever, Mary Elizabeth.  I know what to do and I'm determined.

There is only one question left . . . 

Hope springs eternal!