- Travelers Notebook Fauxbonichi For Vacation To Corpus Christi Texas -

Thursday we returned home from a mini vacation to Corpus Christi, Padre Island and Port Aransas Texas. we had a very nice time. Enjoyed the beaches, towns, the people and good food. Now Hurricane Harvey is causing such distraction there and I feel sad for the people in the path of this storm. My thoughts are with them.
#hurricaneharvey #godblesstexas #portaransas #corpuschristi #texas
I took my Travelers Notebook Fauxbonichi along.

- Free Printable Art Medium Color Chart -

I'm in the process of creating some color charts for different kinds of art media I own. Sometimes it's hard to recognize the true color of a gel pen or colored pencil just by looking at the barrel and to make things a bit easier a booklet with all the colors seems to be a good idea.

To start a record of all my coloring mediums I made a printable color chart for myself. To make the charts a little more durable I print them on cardstock instead of just plain printer paper

If you would like to download this simple chart click on the link below and start tracking your own art medium colors.

 

 Get organized and enjoy.

- A New Round Of Dieting with HCG Drops ( Hormon Free) -

This coming Sunday I will start a new cycle of the HCG Diet.

Last year I did one round of this diet and lost 37 pounds in 6 weeks. Life sort of got in the way for additional rounds that could have brought me to my target goal, but this weekend I will start new and commit myself to this diet once again for 6 weeks.

The HCG diet is not easy and does demand discipline in order to succeed.
If I stick to the rules I will lose weight relatively fast. I do the cheap and needle free version of this diet.

The original HCG Hormone diet can be quite costly and while I would like to do the real thing I just can't afford it.
The HCG injections are a BIG NO for me because I'm scared of needles and I cannot give myself injections for that reason.
So I will do the generic version of this diet and use HCG Diet Drops available in Drugstores and online. There are several brands that can be bought, most of them are Hormone free.

The brand I buy are the Creative Bioscience 1234 Diet Drops. 

These drops normally help the average person lose 1 pound a day. This wasn't true for me every day. Sometimes I lost less, more and some days even nothing. Everybody is different so it's better not to fool yourself into thinking that 1 pound a day is a given even so the drops instructions and information say so.

Important information


Safety Information
Do not use if nursing or pregnant.

Indications
Weight Loss

Ingredients
L-Ornithine, , L-Carnitine, L-Arginine, L-Glutamine, Maca (Lepidium meyenii), Niacin, Beta-Alanine, Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), Astragalus

Directions
As a dietary supplement, take 10 drops under (0.5 ml) the tongue three times per day, 30 minutes before eating, and hold for one to two minutes. Do not eat or drink for 10 minutes before or after taking the drops.

Also, I DO NOT follow the diet plan that comes with these drops. I follow the plan of Dr. Simeons the creator of the original diet from back in the 50's. 

His instructions are not very detailed, but I will stick with the very low-calorie diet of 500 a day. 

The book is free and you can download it by clicking the banner below.

The low-calorie amount sounds hard to do, but that is where the drops come into play and help.

Of course, there are many adaptations to this diet found on the internet these days, but the good doctor gives you a bit of his original idea on how and why this diet works.

I might try to keep a Vlog during this cycle, but I'm still debating if  I will or not. I'm shy and hate to be in front of a camera, but I think it would help hold myself a little more accountable during this diet. 

It's always a good idea to first ask your doctor if you should do a particular diet, so please do so, before you give it a try! 

Of course I am not a doctor and only can share my personal experience with this diet! It works for me, but can not guarantee that this diet will do the same for you or will be safe for you to do. Therefore the consultation with your doctor would be a wise thing to do!

- Fauxbonichi Pages -

- My Michaels Jane Davenport Haul -

For several months I've been searching for Jane Davenports new line at my nearest Michaels, which is more than 1.5 hours away and it never carried any of her items.
So this past weekend my husband and I drove across the State ( Husbands work related trip, I only tagged along! ) to see if that Michaels would have anything of her items!

They also did not carry some things I was hoping to find, but at least I was able to purchase the Butterfly Book I wanted! :)

The trip turned out to be a nice weekend trip. Husbands business got done, we went shopping and had a nice dinner! Maybe I should tag along more often?

- My New High Capacity Pencil Case -

I finally found the perfect pencil case for my Prismacolor Premier Pencil Set.
This case holds 168 pencils and is awesome!

Have a look at my review video and see what this case looks like and how many writing utensils you can fit in it.

Thank you for watching

-New Fauxbonichi Pages For August 1st to the 14th-

Check out the first 2 weeks of August in my Fauxbonichi journal.

Some pages are full of whimsy and other have a more vintage feel. It always depends on the mood I'm in when I'm journaling and drawing in my Fauxbonichi.

Sometimes a page is created little by little during the day others in the evening while lounging and watching a movie.

Thank you for looking

-Nutella Banana Bread-

We love Nutella and we love banana bread.
Combine both and you get a wonderful treat with your afternoon cup of coffee. Even the Minions would approve!

I always buy way to many bananas and often they end up uneaten and spoiled, unless I find time to turn them into delicious banana bread. Everyone knows that everything is better with Nutella and the same is true when it comes to banana bread. If I could I'd slather everything with Nutella.


Recipe For Nutella Banana Bread:

Ingredients:

    2 cups flour
    3/4 tsp. baking soda
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1/4 cup butter softened
    1 cup sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1/3 cup milk
    3/4 heaping cup Nutella


Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 8×4-inch loaf pan

- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & salt.

- In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, milk and vanilla. Beat until blended. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).

- Spoon Nutella into a small dish and soften in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well.

- Spoon Nutella batter alternately with plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.

- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, it will seem a tiny bit under cooked but that’s what makes it good. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely

Enjoy

-Midori Slider Charm "She's Fancy"-

Today I added a new Midori slider charm to my Etsy shop.
I named it "She's Fancy", because the antiqued brass butterfly is all fancied up by her rhinestone chains.

Very pretty and looks great on a Midori with its vintage look!

Thanks for looking 

-8 Free And Awesome 4th Of July Printables-

Hey YOU, this is me...
The 4th of July is just around the corner, one of my favorite Holidays that fills me with patriotism and gratitude for our Service Men and Women!

My husband was in the Air Force and a Gulf War Veteran. For many years we have been active within the VFW and worked on some wonderful 4th Of July BBQ's, party's and dinners for countless veterans.

In honor of them and the season I found some great 4th Of July printables to decorate your home or party with.

Please visit each of the creators sites by clicking on the images to download your print.

Have a happy and safe Independence Day!

Free 4th Of July Subway Art Printable

 

Isn't this printable beautiful? It is one of my most favorite and I could not wait to print this one right away.

Patriotic Door Decor

Doesn't get much more patriotic than pledging allegiance with this printable and door hanger idea. Print by Kim Conner of 733.

America The Beautiful

A simple and clean printable, very nice for the modern types of home decor.

Patriotic Mantel Decor Print

Perfect for your Americana decor.

Hand-lettered Print

Gotta love some patriotic hand-lettering for the 4th.

Patriotic Mason Jar

Mason jars are as American as apple pie and who doesn't love them? Here is a cute printable depicting one of them.

GOD BLESS AMERICA CHALKBOARD PRINT

Chalkboard prints are always a favorite, classy.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

The quote of our founding fathers displayed in a frame makes a nice decor item for any patriotic Holiday or really any day at all.

Thanks you, to all the great and generous people who create these free printables and thank you for allowing me to share them with you!

-The Fauxbonichi Is My Favorite Now!-

It has been a long while since I added a post to my blog, but I have been working on myself to feel better and become a healthier person!

Managed to lose 42 pounds since last year end of November and I'm still going strong, because I still want to get rid of an other 40 pounds or so.

It is unbelievable how much better I feel already and how much more energy I have these days. My depression and anxiety moments are almost all gone and being around people is a bit more comfortable for me.

I ditched my Filofax and mostly just use my Fauxbonichi and Midori to take notes, journal, plan and be artsy. This year I will buy the real Hobonichi, because I'm sure now that I can justify the cost for one, because I make good use of my Fauxbonichi.

I still love my Filofax and will figure out some kind of use for it, but I just don't have that much to plan like Moms or people with a job have to do. 

I'm a housewife, my daughter is grown and I really do not need to plan out when to wash my dishes. 

It's pretty obvious that when a pile of dirty dishes stares at you up from the sink, that it is high time to fill the dish washer or get the sponge out to wash them! 

I still do make notes here and there about household chores that need to get done, but I don't need to make a huge deal about it in my planner and that is why I love my Fauxbonichi!

It also is way more fun to decorate, do some art or doodle. 

I find it very relaxing and less pressure to keep track of things, plus it feels like there is much less of a rule to plan or journal about your life on a daily basis. 

Not to mention I get to buy great stationary and art supplies like my newest splurge the set of 150 Prismacolor Pencils....Boy do I love them!

 

More of my Fauxbonichi can be found on my Instagram.

Thanks for looking

-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

Thanks for looking

-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.

(click to download)

Thanks for looking

-My Filofax Week #5-

 

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.