'n Nuwe konsep - Dubbeldoor

Ek lees graag Merrick van Merricks art se blog.  Sy en haar twee sussies woon nie naby mekaar nie en om in kontak te bly doen al drie saam 'n pos wat hul noem "Raiding my sisters closet".  Dit is een van my gunsteling poste om te lees.  Al drie sussies kies 'n sekere kledings item en dink dan 'n uitrusting daarmee uit.

Ek dink dit haal mens 'n bietjie uit jou gemaksone en forseer jou om ander klere kombinasies uit te dink.  Sooo, ek gaan poog om dieselfde te doen.  Wel iets soorgelyks.  'n Vriendin van my Corneli Becker was nogal altyd 'n avontuurlustige aantrekker.  Ons het vir 'n wyle saam geloseer as studente en as ek so klein soos sy gebou was het ek sekerlik geleef in haar klerekas!

Hierdie week se uitdaging was om enige dierepatroon item te vat en 'n uitrusting daarmee uit te dink.  Ek sal met die volgende uitdaging 'n beter foto opsit (my IT-man het ewe dik van die lag van my uitrusting 'n foto geneem) ek moet net 'n plan beraam om my kamera iewers gemonteer te kry.

Sonder verdere praatjies hier is ons albei se weergawes van ons diervelpatroon items:

Corneli se luiperd serpie

"Ek dra nie maklik die cheetah vel om my lyf nie.  As ek dit moes doen, sou ek seker verplig gevoel het om my naels ook te groei en rooi naellak op te sit.  Die serpie is net'n klein rebellie teen my blommetjies, strikkies en hartjies wat my klerekas bekoor"

en...my luiperd ballet skoene:

Met die snaakse weer wat ons die afgelope paar dae gehad het, was ek lus vir ietsie warmers.  Ekt een van my man se hempde geleen (kan jul agterkom) en my ma se hout krale om my nek gehang om by my skoene te pas.  Ek is mal oor die bietjie 'wild' wat om my voete speel.

Ek is nog besig met die 30 day shred, en ek moet se ek begin al resultate sien, my magie is platter en my gesig lyk bietjie maerder.  Amper by die 15 dag merk!

Kyk uit vir volgende week se DUBBELDOOR ;)

{L}

Riaan turned 1! (last OCTOBER)

I know it's shameful to FINALLY make a post on the (long)past birthday of our first born.  My only defense is that I was waiting for the photos from the very talented Marinell (who also did our pregnancy shoot, you can find her on facebook, just look for Marinell Photography)

When Marinell let me know that the photos were ready, we were already on holiday and I only got them in January (my bad)...Yes, January, when the normal school-starts-in-two-weeks rush hits you.

Excuses, excuses, yada, yada, yada....I'm doing the post now!

We did a blue and yellow Mustache bash for his birthday (in Afrikaans of course, we called it a 'PROESPRUIK PARTYTJIE').  We went to the Groenkloof Nature Reserve and had a picnic with hot dogs and party treats.  It was so much fun and the kids loved being outdoors in the woods :)  take a look:

These family shots are my favourite:

We had so much fun!  Any questions on where I sourced my decor from, leave a comment ;)

{L}

"You better shape up...!"

We don't own a scale.  I have been breastfeeding my 14 month old for the last 12 months.  I was one of those lucky women who could eat anything while breastfeeding and not pick up weight.  After 6 months of breastfeeding I weighed 8kgs less than when I got pregnant.

The problem is now that I have stopped breastfeeding for about 2 months...but I have not stopped EATING with the inevitable consequence being I have gained weight like a lion gains on a gazelle!  

How do I know this if we do not even own a scale?  We were at my moms on Sunday for potjiekos (YUM, I will miss you my friend) and I climbed on her electronic bathroom scale for laughs and giggles.....guess what...I am back at my original pre-pregnancy weight! (Insert mortified face here)

I weigh a whopping 72 kg.  Let me put this into perspective for you.  I am a mere 1.65m tall and in my 25 years this is the 3rd time I have reached this shameful milestone.  

Without wasting any time, I pounced on Pinterest on Sunday night and lo and behold, I found the 30 DAY SHRED!!  I actually found a couple of promising {before and after} pictures and after doing a bit of research, decided that THIS was my way back to skinny-wearing-without-the-inevitable-muffintop days.

What is the 30 DAY SHRED (I always say it in a booming voice in my head).  It is a 25min workout video consisting of 3 levels.  You start at Level 1 for the first 10 days, then do Level 2 for the next 10 days and finish off with Level 3 the last 10 days (this is where you lose your baby/chocolate/potato chip pooch and get those awe inspiring flat(ter) abs.  The videos are available on youtube (you can also order the dvd if you wish).  

I wanted to wait before posting on the workout because I wanted to experience it for myself.  It's really not that bad, for someone who haven't exercised in about 4 years, I was able to complete the whole 25 minutes (doing lady push-ups I must admit) before giving up or collapsing of exhaustion.  

In other words, I recommend this workout!  

I will be posting the terribly embarrassing BEFORE photos on day 15 when my body is in better shape :)  

I must add, that for the first 13 days I am following a strict protein rich (low carb) kickstart diet AND that I will also be doing the following:

1.  30 day planck challenge

2.  30 day lunge challenge

3.  30 day squat challenge

I found a really neat CHART to use to mark off my progress on "A mater of choice's" blog.  I don't have her permission to post about her chart on my blog, but I hope that she will forgive my arrogance because the chart her hubby made her is so user friendly and motivating!

Here are the measurements I'm starting with:

Please hold me in your thoughts, you are welcome to join me in my challenge and comment on how your progress is going or if you would like me to post the 13 day diet.  Please note that I am in no way a dietitian or a fitness professional (I'm just doing what I feel will work the best for me).   I'm so excited to see progress!

{L}

  

Masterchef Mystery box partytjie

Ons het Vrydag aand 'n Mystery box partytie gehou in ons klein Equestria huisie. Ek het die idee by my skoonsus gekry, en dit het SO goed gewerk. Ek begin Maandag weer skoolgee na 'n lekker lang vakansie en die 'dinner party' was 'n lekker ontspanne voor-skool-weer-begin partytie. Van my gunsteling dinge om te doen is om mooi te maak en lekker kos te maak vir vriende wat kom kuier. Omdat dit twee van my vriendinne en hul mans was wat kom kuier het, het ek 'n bietie meer vroulik gedek.

Ek het die laprose by 'n vriendin se troue in 'n ruiker gekry, die servetringe het ek van lint gemaak deur die 2 ente met 'n gomgeweer aanmekaar te plak en die glas blomflessies het ek weereens die gomgeweer ingele en 'n bietjie versier.

Wat is die reels?

 1. Elke paarjtie pak 'n verassings boks, hetsy dit vir voorgereg, hoofgereg of nagereg is. (Die gasvrou kan besluit wie pak vir watter gereg) 

2. In die boks moet ENIGE 6 bestandele wees. Dit maak dit interessanter as mens nie jou boks volgens 'n resep pak nie. 

 3. Die paarties mag hul boks oopmaak net voor hul hul gereg moet maak en mag dan ook hul fone en enige resepteboek gebruik om hul gereg reg te kry, elke span het ook net 'n uur om in kos te maak.

 4. Elke 'span' moet die skottelgoed wat hy vuil gemaak het was terwyl die volgende span begin. 

 Die span wat voorgereg moes maak het heerlike varsgebakte (gekoop by Deeghuys) croissants, met geroosterde knoffel tamaties, salm, salm roomkaas, roket en komkommer op.

 Vir hoogereg het ons lekker aartappelskyies, geroosterde botterskorsie, beesfillet met 'n camembert en ui marmelade sous gehad.

Vir nagereg (wat my werk was) het ons peppermint crisp sjokolade bruintjies gemaak met koffie likeur en vanielje room en 'n blueberry sousie.

 Die atmofseer was ontspanne, ons het lekker geeet en lekker gekuier. Dankie Eloise en Celanie dat jul kom kosmaak en skottelgoed was het in my huis ;)

 Op 'n meer styvolle noot ek het die idee by Merricks art gekry (een van my gunsteling styl blogs om te lees) om 'n weeklikste styl pos te plaas. Ek sal nog my sus en skoonsus oorreed dat ons een kleding item vat en op 3 verskillende maniere opdoen. Op Merrick se blog noem hul dit Raiding my sisters closet, ek dink die gepaste arikaanse weergawe daarvan sal wees Koeksisters se klerekas...maar ons drie werk nog aan die naam vir die konsep. Hou die spasie dop, die jaar beloof groot dinge vir Make me some happy :)

 {L}

New Year, New Opportunities

Any new years resolutions?  Cliché I know, but I think resolutions are a good thing.  It keeps us moving forward and it helps us to evaluate where we are in our lives and where we want to get to.

My resolutions for 2014 are:

1.       Post WEEKLY on ‘make me some happy’ (this is a big one)

2.       Get fit

3.       Crochet more

4.       Socialize more

5.       DIY more

6.       Create more moments with my family

7.       Expand my family ;)

8.       Do not fall behind with my school administration (first year as a teacher)

9.       Get a monthly facial

10.   Work in the garden

That’s it, I’ll leave it with these 10 for now.  I think this is already a handful to master.

On a more crafty note, I went a bit fabric-crazy during the holidays. 

Seeing that chiffon is making a comeback I was determined to make myself at least 2 tops, 2 cotton dresses and a skirt.  I just love the pink Aztec print.  A valuable lesson I learnt from working with chiffon:

Before you cut out your pattern, make a saturated sugar or starch solution, dip the whole length of the fabric in the solution and hang straight to dry.  It causes the chiffon to become stiff like cotton and subsequently the fabric is a breeze to work with…no more stretching, cutting skew and getting caught in the machine.  Afterwards you just rinse the garment and TADAA, soft and flowy like it should be. 

The holidays were so busy but so far I've made...

A Salmon chiffon top using Simplicity pattern number 1806

A cotton dress (60's) work in progress made from Simplicity pattern number 2922

These are projects I still have to do before the end of the week:

I still have so much to do, I love taking my time though.  On Friday we're having a Masterchef Mystery Box party.  I got the idea from my sister in law, who held one very successfully.  I'll let you know how it went and how it works.  

I'm eager for the holidays to be over to get back into our routine.  I hope this year is a big year for us and for you.   Blessings and good luck for 2014 for everyone!

{L}