Simply Dana

Yellow Bursts of Sunshine

I love when spring officially arrives so welcome May. I love this time of year and I found this bunch of tulips at Whole Foods and they just scream spring.

I love card-making and scrap booking and I'm trying to loose weight. As of the beginning of April I was down 17 pounds. I'm keeping track of the journey. My goal is 50 pounds in 2012, only 33 pounds to go. This is the first page of my weight loss journal and me at my heaviest. The hubby and I were on vacation in Montreal, Canada.

Birthday Wishes

These are from a recent swap. I made birthday cards directed for certain groups. I did cards for little boys & girls, teenage boys and women. These are the ones for boys, girls and teenage boys. I couldn't get a good picture for the ones for women.

For Little Girls

For Little Boys

For Teenage Boys

Get in My Belly

I love to cook and bake. It's so relaxing to get in the kitchen and create...sometimes savory...sometimes tangy and sweep. Mom gave me a new cookbook from Cooks Illustrated and I worked my magic.

Chicken Picatta - 1st time using capers and I've fallen in love. This recipes really loves its butter so this will have to be something made only for special occasions.

Garlic Shrimp - a couple of days later I used more capers (so delicious) to make this shrimp dish. It also came from the Cooks Illustrated cookbook and the left over were even better cold.

Welcome 2012

I made this vision board for 2012. So far I'm finding that having what I want in writing and posted so I can see it all the time really helps keep me on track. During this year I want to...

-loose weight
-spend more time being crafty. I love scrap-booking, card making and knitting but there is so much more I want to try.
-travel more, specifically locally; there are so many great places in the Virginia, Maryland and DC.

This is my year.

The Great Outdoors

The life of a crafter can't be contained indoors. Well, maybe this isn't exactly crafty but we worked out butts off. The hubby and I had this eye sore of a tree in the front yard since we bought the house 3.5 years ago. Who knew that with a little new soil, red mulch and sore backs from digging, it would turn into something nice. Now I need to build a bird house and it'll be perfect.

The Before

The After

A nice arrival

Back in March I got my husband to give up the basement and I started on the road to making it my craft room. It's finally done and it is WONDERFUL!!!! It got a new coat of paint and with a few thrift store finds she's one her way to being a great room. I haven't had time to decorate but as soon as I find a theme, she will be perfect. I was able to create zones depending on what's moving me that day. I have a space for scrapbooking and card making. A space for anything else like painting and working with clay, a space for sewing and a space for knitting.

This is the view of the entire room. The walls are a very pale blue.

This is the sewing space. I'm learning how to use the machine. I'll never be Versace but I think I can handle a hem and some curtain panels.

This will be the future kitting space. When I knit I want to sit back and relax. I found this gem at a thrift store and I can wait to spruce her up with some paint and a few pillows...made with the sewing machine of course. :)