30 B4 30: Water Challenge and Clean Eating Challenge Results!

As part of my 30 b4 30 list, which you can see here, I decided to do a water challenge and a clean eating challenge. I decided to do both at the same time, each for 30 days.

Water...goooood....soda....bad.....For the water challenge, I simply cut all liquids other than water from my diet. No soda, juice, etc. It was ridiculously hard for me, because I am one of the worst soda-addicts EVER. As in, I have gone days where I only drank soda...nothing else. The first few days I had a killer headache, but after that, the cravings were pretty minimal. I learned to be ok with water. I even learned to like it for the most part. Since the end of the challenge, I have been able to limit soda intake to a much more reasonable, 1-soda-per-day limit. I still drink mostly water.

So with the clean eating challenge, I followed this menu for the first few weeks, then built my own after that. I cut out processed foods almost completely. Absolutely no high fructose corn syrup or weird preservatives. If I couldn't read it or didn't know what it was, I didn't eat it. I monitored calorie intake using an online tracker to ensure that I didn't go way over on food intake, since I'm not used to eating this way. I will say, this was a very difficult challenge. Not because it's hard to find food that fits the criteria, but because it's very difficult to maintain weight while eating full-fat, non-processed foods. It was almost impossible to lose weight with this strategy. I felt great while doing it, but was almost always hungry. Let's just say I was glad when the 30 days was up!

Side Note- The beauty of the clean eating challenge was that I got to try some awesome new recipes...I found some new family favorites and tried several things I have never had before!

The Results- I lost 7 pounds total. I probably lost a few inches as well. Here's a before and after:

Concrete Desk and Pipe Shelves: Office Transformation (Part 1)

For part one of the three-part Office Transformation series, I give you, our Concrete Desk and Pipe Shelves. With nods to both vintage and industrialist modern styles, this wall make's a statement in our new office, and I'm loving what it's saying...

The Concrete Desk- 

We purchased the legs unfinished from Lowe's, and the hubby built the reinforcement. I stained it all using Rust-oleum stain that my SIL put me on to (See her DIY Crate Coffee Table Here). I
used a combo of the American Walnut and the Kona color's. The hubby then build a form to pour the concrete into using laminated board (this board works soooo much better than anything else because it doesn't absorb the water from the concrete mixture). Once dry, the concrete will need to be sealed with a concrete sealer (we didn't do any sanding on ours because we liked the look as-is). Andrew bolted the wood part of the desk to the wall, then we had to get some serious assistance carrying in the piece of concrete for the top (for real, this thing is HEAVY). We put down some blobs of glue and set it into place, and voila! A desk!







Pipe Shelves-

I saw these all over Pinterest, and I just had to have them. Andrew and I debated the placement, size and location of them, but we knew we wanted them for our office. I love how they turned out, and they were relatively easy to make and install. We went to the home improvement store and purchased the pipe fixtures from the plumbing section. They were the perfect size, so no cutting was needed. We then purchased the board and cut it into three varying lengths. I wanted something that looked "reclaimed" so we looked for the gnarliest piece of lumber we could find.
Once cut, I stained them with the same stain I used for the legs of the desk, starting first with the American Walnut, then lightly coating with the Kona. Once dry, we just set the wood on the pipes and filled them with our treasures. They are very sturdy since the pipe caps help keep them wedged into place.





Pulley Light-

The hubby added this at the last minute. We purchased the pendant light for about $20, and the basket shade for another $10. Then, we added a pulley and hook. It plugs into the outlet like a lamp, and I just love the vintage, Edison bulb!



















Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Office Transformation- The Sliding Barn Door! -Cassie

30 Before 30 Challenge

My birthday was at the beginning of April, and I'm feeling a little old. Not like, need-a-walker kind of old, but I just feel like life is passing so quickly these days! There is so much I still want to do and accomplish. So I made a list. 30 things to accomplish on my bucket list before I turn 30 (April of 2017). Some of them are big, some small, but hopefully all things I can accomplish before the big 3-0. In the mean time, I hope to share with you my adventures as I accomplish these tasks!

Here's the big 30b430 list: (To follow my 30b430 list on Pinterest, click here: https://www.pinterest.com/cduffle/30-b4-30/

1. Go to Greece- Specifically, I want to see Santorini, an island off of the Greece mainland. I hope to do this for my 30th birthday.
2. Christmas in NYC- I actually already have this one booked.  I booked it right after I completed my list. We are going this December. :-)
3. OKC 1/2 Marathon- I've already started a couch-to-5k running schedule. I can't imagine running long enough to complete a 5k, never mind a 1/2 marathon...but, baby steps!
4. Smile Challenge- I'm going to make an active effort to smile for 30 seconds a day for 30 days. If you see me grinning for no reason, you'll now know why...
5. Take a French Class- I don't know an ounce of French. I'd like to at least be able to order off a menu.
6. Take A Photography Class- I have never taken a proper class, and would love to learn a little more about my hobby.
7. Climb a Mountain- It doesn't have to be a big one, but I do want to make it to the top and feel like I'm on top of the world ;-)
8. Learn to Bartend- Not like every drink in the book, but a nice set of 20 or so should do the trick.
9. Skinny Dipping- I've never done it, but hey, you should do dumb stuff in your 20's, right??
10. Karaoke- Writing this strikes fear in my heart. I am terrified to sing in front of people, but feel the need to concur a fear.
11. Drink More Water- I'm doing a 30 day water challenge, and planning to cut soda entirely for 30 days. If you know me, then you know that I'm an EPIC soda drinker, so this challenge should be interesting...
12. Learn Yoga- I'm planning to do a 30 day Yoga challenge. Hopefully I'll find my zen...but if not, maybe I'll at least be a bit more flexible...
13. Read a Classic- Ok, confession, I didn't really read much in high school or college, unless you count cliff's notes. I enjoy reading now, but didn't back then. I should read at least one of the classics, don't you think? Suggestions? Suggestions?
14. Try a New Food- I love to try new foods. I've never tried Thai, so I may shoot for that. If not, I may do something really gross and exotic. We will see if an opportunity presents itself.
15. Complain Less- I'm doing a 3 day challenge. I'm a notorious complainer, so hopefully this helps!
16. Save Money- I'm just bad at saving money. I'm doing a 52 week money-saving challenge. Hopefully our savings will help pay for that Greece trip ;-)
17. Stay Calm- If you have kids, you have probably realized that sometimes it's just hard to stay calm and not yell. Or, at least it is for me. I'm doing a 21 day's to no yelling challenge.
18. Road Trip with the Girls- I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can convince my buddies to do this one with me this summer!
19. Color Run- A 5K to help gear up for a 1/2 marathon, but more importantly, doesn't it look insanely fun??
20. Build a Gingerbread House- This will be a fun Christmas activity for this next holiday season. I want to build a real one...no kits!
21. Family Picnic- I want to do a quintessential picnic. With a basket and a blanket on a beautiful spring/summer day under a tree!
22. Create a Scrapbook- As crafty as I am, this one will be difficult. It's been a looong time since I made a scrapbook, and I'm not sure they really even qualified as scrapbook (they were really just photo albums). I want to do a baby book for Z oooorrr a travel book...I can't decide which.
23. Indoor Rock Climbing- A friend suggested this one, and it sounded fun. I've never been, so why not?
24. Have a Tech-Free Day- No technology for a day? Impossible. I will use electricity, gas, and water. I'll drive my car and probably listen to the radio. Outside of that, no phone, facebook, email, tv, computer..nothing with a screen.
25. Random Act of Kindness- Hopefully I can come up with a nice, low-cost way to pay-it-forward. At least once.
26. Glitter Photo Shoot- I want a mommy-daughter photo shoot with glitter. I haven't worked out the details, but it sounds fun!
27. Polar Bear Plunge- Again, stupid things in your 20's.... Hopefully I can find one with an associated good-cause, thus slightly relieving my feeling of stupidity. 
28. Learn to Cook- I don't want to actually take a cooking class, but I would like to learn 10 new really good recipes! Hopefully I'll find some new go-to's.
29. Take a Photo a Day- There's a great photo-a-day challenge on Pinterest. It lasts for 30 days, and should be a fun project and a great learning experience. 
30. Eat Better- This is such a broad term, but I've been soooo off-track with my eating habits lately. I plan to try a 30 day clean-eating challenge I found on Pinterest. 

There you have it! 30 item's to complete in almost 2 years! This should make for some fun adventures and memories! <3

DIY Graduation Card

Tis the season to send grad gifts, and let's be honest...all most graduates want (and need) is cold, hard cash.


I don't love just inserting a bill into a Hallmark card and sending it along, and what kind of DIY'r would I be if I did? So when the grad invites came rolling in, I took to Pinterest to find a unique way to give a monetary graduation gift.

This card is a combination of this pin and this pin.

To make:

• 1, two-sided piece of paper (or make your own like I did by glueing two together).
• Vellum
• Glue
• Scissors
• Printer
• A cash bill of your choosing and a quarter. (This would be particularly meaningful if you used the graduation year currency)
• washi tape
• button
• string (or buy already-made mini tassels at your local craft store, like I did)
• A sticker (this is optional)

Directions:
1. Follow the instructions on this pin to make the actual card. I chose to have mine double sided, so that the inside of the card would look different than the outside.
2. I chose to place a grad-cap sticker on the front of the card enclosure to give it a nice finishing touch. This is optional. If you choose to use a sticker, adhere it with washi tape so that it comes free without damaging the card paper.
3. Because my paper was printed, it would be difficult to read if I printed directly on it, so I printed on a piece of vellum instead. I used the template from the card pin to decide the layout of my text, then just removed the template before printing. This helped a lot in determining font size and layout. The words read "Be who you are & Do what you"
4. Use this pin to create the origami money heart. Once done, use your washi tape to adhere it to the card. This way it won't tear or damage the card or the money when it's removed.

Voila! Easy, peasy!

-Cassie

See my pin here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/178244097729407218/

Growing Up

It's been awhile since I did a family update, and I though I would share what we have been up to!

Since buying our new home at the beginning of March, we have been diligently working on unpacking boxes (there's still a good-sized pile in the garage, however), painting, and working on furniture and "redo" type projects. I'm in heaven, because there are so many fun things to work on, design, and do! I am also very pleased to say that the photography side business is going very well, and I am almost completely booked until July! It's such a great way for me to meet new people and get occasional adult interaction.

About two weeks after we moved in, Z and I took a trip to see my sister in Florida. She lives about 40 minutes outside of Orlando now (and about 25 from Cocoa Beach), so it was like a little mini-vacation for us. We went for a whole week, and I really loved catching up with my sister, as well as meeting my new nephew. It's a shame we live so far away now, but we talk frequently, and hopefully she'll be able to come visit soon.

And what's new with Z? While we were in Florida, Andrew changed Z's bed into a toddler bed, and made a toddler rail that looks great (it still needs to be painted). She had zero issues with it, and has done very well with it so far.

In addition to that, TMI here...BUT, week before last, I randomly put underwear on Zoe one day to see how she would do. Mind you, she hadn't really shown much interest in potty training prior to this. In fact, she had never even done her business in a toilet prior to her last day at daycare at the beginning of March, and since that, really hasn't had a repeat performance but once or twice. Nevertheless, the underwear apparently was what she was waiting for, because she is pretty much fully potty trained during the day (we will work on night training later). Woohoo for no more diapers!

On top of the potty training milestone, while we were on our trip back from Florida, Zoe chewed the tip off her binky (I let her have it on the plane for her ears). Even though I do have backup pacifiers, I told her that was the only one we had. Through the next week or so, Andrew and I laid the groundwork for the "Binky Fairy." We kept trimming small amounts from the tip of the binky, and explaining that the binky fairy would soon come and give her a gift in exchange for her binky. It worked after a week or so. She wasn't even really using the binky anymore because there wasn't much left. We convinced her to put the binky outside on the porch, and in the morning, a fairy costume was in it's place. We haven't heard anything about the pacifier since! I was so worried we would never get rid of that thing, so yay!

Concrete End Tables

With this house, we would like to make some of the furniture to be sure it is unique to our style. We sold quite a bit of the furniture in our previous home before we moved, because we knew we would want a different style, and most of it was very traditional. With this new house, we wanted to go for a urban farmhouse sort of vibe. A blend of ultra modern and vintage antiques. What better way to blend these together, than with a vintage sewing table base and concrete? I give you, our concrete end tables...


We actually made two of these. The bases are antique vintage sewing tables. The two I found didn't match exactly, but I actually prefer it that way. The bases can be found at many antique stores, particularly if you are looking for just the metal base without the wooden top.


To make the concrete top, you have to let go of any and all ocd. It just won't look perfect, but you'll learn to love the character. I could go on for days about what to do and what not to do. But most importantly, use the board (a laminate type board will work better because it doesn't absorb water) and the concrete mix pictured below, and make sure your concrete is super soupy. We made indentions with boards to match the sewing table base, so that the table top would sit down on the base without worrying about it tipping off. Once dry, we found sanding didn't really work to our advantage, so we made a slurry from the concrete mix and poured it over the top, smoothing it with a plastic putty knife. This helped smooth any pinholes. Once dry, we sealed it with a concrete sealer and waxed it with turtle wax for shiny protection!

Concrete Mix

Laminate Board

Our New Home

I have been seriously neglecting the blog thing for a few months. Its needed some TLC for awhile. Since Z is no longer a baby, a monthly update revolving around her is a little tedious (not that MY life doesn't revolve around her...it just probably isn't as appealing to the masses). SO with that being said, a revision seemed to be in order. Since my Kitchen makeover has gotten 20,000 hits and counting, it seems a blog revolving around our home projects is just the ticket. That's not to say I won't be posting the occasional family update, party planning adventures, and a sprinkle of photography-type posts and mommy topics, but I really hate to categorize (or set myself up for failure on account of not ever making time to actually blog about other stuff).

So why have I been MIA, you may ask? Well we purchased a new home at the beginning of March. We made an awesome profit on our home in Moore (the one with that popular kitchen re-do), and moved to a slightly larger place in Edmond. We love our new house, and we think it is very beautiful just the way it is. HOWEVER, we have this crazy NEED to do projects. Seriously, going to Lowes is what we do for fun. And Pinterest? Well let's just call that my dirty little secret. So now we have a whole long list of projects and ideas, and hopefully I will get to share most of them with you, along with some of our tips and tricks for all things home.

So let's get started...here is a few photo's of our new home. Consider these the "before" photos, and keep in mind they are listing pictures, so they have someone else's furniture and decor.

The Front. We don't plan to do a lot to it since it already has nice curb appeal.

The Office. This house has a ton of this orange/red color. A little bright for my taste, and since this is right off the front entrance, it will be one of the first rooms we complete (we have actually already painted it!), we will also be building a custom desk and shelving, along with changing the lighting.

The Dining. It's crazy large for a dining room. My table is dwarfed. We will paint, change the lighting, remove the carpet (although we haven't settled on a flooring option), and possibly add some sort of accent to one of the walls (like brick).

The Kitchen. We love the funky light fixtures and stainless appliances. The cabinets need to go back to white (rather than beige) and the red is going to go to a lighter, more neutral shade. We also plan to eventually build a custom, eat-in table.  In addition, we may change the backsplash and add an accent to one of the walls.

The Living. This picture is stretched (obviously), but it's still a nice-sized space. We plan to paint, change the tile on the fireplace, and remove the carpet. We may also change out some of the lighting. We will also be building some custom furniture for this space.

The Bedrooms. Paint and molding for the two smaller rooms, and new lighting for all.

The Back. This view sold the house for us. There are ducks and fish (fishing is allowed!!) However, a fence (which is actually already complete), is the first up on the project list in order to keep the little one from falling!