-The First Week Of Fauxbonichi-

I so love my Fauxbonichi!
I'm having a great time drawing into it and keeping a simple and short record of my days. Sometimes there isn't much to say really, but then I can draw and doodle or just fill the page with a nice quote or anecdote.

I think I will enjoy this type of planner/journal for a long time to come. Below you can see the first weeks pages of my book.

I was thinking, that I might start a Youtube channel to show my stuff a little better. I'm still a bit shy in doing so, but it would be a lot easier to explain the details of whatever it is I have done or do. I just have a fear of turning into one of those people who talk about anything else but their project.
I really don't need to know what your cat or dog had for lunch and how the grand kids did in a school recital.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but if I want to see a tutorial about something and then I have to sit there for half an hour and listen to someones life story, before it gets to the actual point that I have been tuning in for, then I really must say that I find it annoying.
Show me already what I want or expect to see!

Anyway, if I can get myself not to do that on Youtube I might start making a video here and there.

So check out my Fauxbonichi pages and let me know what I could do better.





Thanks for looking





-Fauxbonichi And DIY Cover-

Today is March the 1st, 2015 and I decided to begin with my entries into a Fauxbonichi today.
A few days ago I even finished sewing a cover for it. I followed a simple tutorial on YouTube and added my own decor ideas to make it unique.

I love red ticking fabric and used some I had in my stash to sew my cover.
It took only about an hour to put it all together. Then I adhered a bit of lace ribbon and a closure made from some red elastic and an typewriter button. This kind of closure will allow for my Fauxbonichi to expand over time, when I add pictures or other mementos to to the pages. A metal inventory drawer plate with the year gives it a little bit more of a vintage look that I like. Some silk ribbon with little heart beads function as page markers for my Fauxbonichi.

I think it turned out really cute!





Thank you for looking


-My First Hobonichi/Fauxbonichi Try-

Like so many Filofax lovers I became very curious about the Hobonichi Planner and so I decided that I should give it a try. I really like how other people use the Hobonichi for planning, decorating and their art.

I want to give a Fauxbonichi a try first to see if I will manage to commit to this kind of planning and journaling before I order myself one of those lovely originals. So I ordered a 8"x5.8" grid paper notebook to move my first Fauxbonichi in. It arrived today and I will set it up over the weekend. Plus I have to get me some more stationary goodies to use in my Fauxbonichi.

While waiting I started a view pages in a notebook I already have and I must say I really love spending time writing and drawing things about my day. It is fun and there is a bit more room for creativity in this type of planner.

I do absolutely love my Filofax planners and will of course continue to use them, but I think the Hobonichi will be a better way for me to journal.

Here are my first view days in my temp Fauxbonichi



Thanks for looking


-My Filofax Week #6-

I'm hanging a bit behind with posting my Filofax week. This week I moved back to my Filofax Domino




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-Free Valentines Day Printable-

I must say that Valentines Day is not really my favorite holiday.
If you love someone you tell them everyday and make them feel special all the time!
Plus, I feel bad for those people who do not have someone special in their lives. I can only imagine how those poor souls feel on such a day. My husband and I don't celebrate Valentines Day, because we love and care for each other every day of the year. Even after 22 years of marriage we're happy to be together.

These days what makes Valentines a really special day to us is, that our grand baby Fenja was born on February 14th and she will turn 5 this year. There is not a more wonderful reason for us to recognize this day.

Anyway, many of you just love Valentines Day with all it's glittery pink and red colors and of course that is just fine. For those of you who do, I created a printable you might like to add to your Valentines decor.


https://app.box.com/s/7yzt2epr94zgl5u5l148uhmrmpzpz3w9


Thanks for looking


-The Start Of A 15 Day Juice Fast-



So today I am starting a 15 day juice fast, consisting of nothing but fruit and vegetable juice.

Several years ago I watched Joe Cross's movie Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.
A documentary about Joe and how he was going to get himself healthy and lose weight by just drinking fruit and vegetable juices for 60 days, while he was traveling across the United States and talking to people about their eating habits and how they affect their life's and health.

My husband had a heart attack at 41 and needed 4 stints all together 1 every few month, because one blood vessel after another in his heart started to clog up. After 6 month and the last stint things started to go better for him.

He has always been lean, trim and in shape mostly due to hard work in construction.
His father however, past away of a heart attack at the age of 53 and it seems my husband inherited the danger of suffering from heart attacks from his dad.

After his cardiologist inserted the 2nd stent into his heart we finally realized that we had to make changes in our life's and stop eating junk foods, stop smoking and be more active.

First after many years of smoking we both stopped cold turkey.
He, because he had to if he wanted to live and me in support of him and because I had seen what might happen if I continue. Instead of eating junk food we began to cook more and eat healthier foods. Then after watching Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead we bought a juicer.
My husband started to drink fruit and vegetable juice fairly regular and started working out.

I did not join him in juicing, I just kept saying: "I rather eat my fruit and veggies than drink 'em!"
I really like eating vegetables, but oddly enough I could not see myself drinking veggie juices.
Carrots are great, but hate to drink carrot juice. Tomatoes are totally awesome, but forget about drinking the juice, I just can't do it, be it raw juice or Bloody Mary's, I hate it!

So a little time went by, my husband is doing great, but now suddenly I started to feel like crap.
I went from one doctor to the other and not one of them could really tell me what was wrong. All they would say is that I probably suffer from depression and anxiety, I kept telling them that I did not believe that this was the case. I had absolute no reason for depression or anxiety.
I was happy in my marriage and life, had no stressful job. There was nothing that would cause me to be depressed.

My symptoms were many and some days all at once.
Often I had a hard time breathing, chest discomfort, could not sleep, felt dizzy and had no energy. Doctors ran all types of tests, pumped me full with medication, nothing helped!

This went on for years. I was angry, because doctors made me feel like I was making it all up saying there was nothing wrong with me physically, that I just imagined things were wrong with me. Yet, I honestly had all those things happen and was without energy to do much of anything.
That and some of the meds caused me to gain a lot of weight. Believe me, now there was a reason for me to get depressed about!
Unfortunately obesity runs in my family anyway. I fought most of my life not to get fat, but at 4'10" every pound I gain is visible and it seemed from one day to the next I finally did end up fat.

I had enough!
After years of feeling awful and not knowing why I decided to ween myself off all the meds, started power walking and lost some weight, but then something would happen that kept me from working out and I gain some of the weight back again ...it just went back and forth.
The only good thing was, that I started to feel much better, which allowed me to enjoy things like arts and crafts, travel and life in general again.
The bad part is that I still sit here short and fat, continue to have trouble sleeping, feel uncomfortable in my own skin, hate to be fat and the limitations it has.

Two days ago I watched Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2 and made the decision to finally give juicing a try. I will start with the 15 day plan and see if it will make a difference in the way I feel and if it is possible for me to lose the weight.

I'm sure it will not be easy for me to drink some of the juices, but I want to give it a real and committed try. A week ago I started with my 4 mile power walks again and dropped 4 pounds already.

My juice fast will begin with me at 223 pounds.
I bought lots of fruits and vegetables and will join my better half in juicing now. Maybe I should have done so years ago.

Time will tell!



If you want to know more about Joe Cross and his movies visit this website. The first movie is available for free and can be watched on his site, Netflix or Amazon Prime. You will also find plans, recipes and lots of info on how to do a juice fast.

Thanks for looking




-My Filofax Week #4-


This week I switched over to my A5 Saffiano Raspberry in order to keep track of my vegetable and fruit juice diet for the next couple of weeks, which I will start on Friday.



-First Filofax Week For The New Year-



Happy New Filofax Week everyone. 

The first week of the new year has already past and this is my Filofax decor. I decided to incorporate more doodling and drawing in my Filofax this year. I love stickers and Washi, but I also love to doodle and this is a great way to have a few creative minutes each day.

Thanks for looking




  

-Downton Abbey Season 5-


I'm so excited!
Tonight is the season 5 premier of the PBS Masterpiece Classic series Downton Abbey.
I've been anxious to see how the story of Downton and the Crawley family continues. Finally, tonight is the night.

I enjoy these kind of shows and Downton Abbey is the best there is. Sunday evenings will be a little more enjoyable for a few weeks. While waiting for the new season to arrive I watched a Downton Abbey marathon. I own all 4 previous seasons and watch when there is nothing else good on or I have nothing to do.