a big bowl of happy

Lately I have been struggling with headaches and low energy and while I eat fairly healthy, something in my gut (literally) was telling me that it might be time to cut back on refined carbs, sugars and processed foods. I did a lot of research on a number of recipes and ways of eating- the Whole 30 Program, paleo, gluten free, etc but in the end I know that I will never completely eliminate anything from my diet. I love to eat, I don't want to lose weight or diet, I don't weigh myself or count calories, I love cheese, meat, bread and sweets BUT lately I know that I haven't feeding my body what it needs. 

So I set out to change some things:

• The biggest change is that I have drastically cut back on sugar. I have a MASSIVE sweet tooth and if I'm gonna be honest, I was eating lots of sweets and crashing from the sugar throughout the day. While the first couple of days without my treats (Oreos, doughnuts, candy) was tough, I felt so much better and had energy all day- there was no crashing. While I haven't eliminated sugar completely, I have been making better choices like having a handful of trail mix instead of candy or only eating one s'more instead of six (yes, I would eat six).

• The other big change I made was cutting back on carbs. Like sugar, I LOVE my carbohydrates! I love bread, I love pasta, I love just about anything made with flour and I eat a lot of it! From waffles to potato chips to a big ol' sandwich on thick pieces of bread, I have been eating a carb heavy diet for years and suffering from low energy and crashing throughout the day. This change was HARD because I have pretty high metabolism and I am always hungry, like ALWAYS! Eating carbs makes me feel "full so when I cut back on certain foods (like bread and pasta) and replaced them with lots of vegetables and protein I spend about 4 days feeling like I was hungry around the clock. But after those four days, that feeling went away and the good stuff I was putting into my body (like TONS of fresh vegi's) filled me up with no crashing and way more energy! I still eat carbohydrates but in moderation.

• The best change I made, which I felt immediately, was adding a ridiculous amount of fresh vegetables into my meals. While I have been eating a pretty balanced diet, my body was craving more fruits and vegi's. So I have made anything green the foundation of every meal- fresh lettuce from the garden, avocado, zucchini, brussel sprouts, spinach,etc. is a part of every single meal that I eat. After the first day, I felt better- like I wasn't just filling my belly but I was feeding my body what it needed.

A few things that have helped me stick with it:

• I like to fill up a giant bowl- what I like to call a "big bowl of love"- with all kinds of good stuff! I allow myself to stuff that bowl with all fruits, vegis and protein. I eat about 4-5 of these bowls per day and then throw in snacks in between. 

• Salad dressing is easy and delicious to make. We make our own dressing with simple ingredients and and always keep it on hand. 

• I try to prepare things ahead of time so all I have to do is grab food. My biggest downfall when eating healthy is laziness. If it is not accessible or prepared I get lazy and will grab a bag of chips instead of taking time to cook.  

Overall I am feeling FABULOUS! I have way more energy, I haven't been crashing and haven't had any headaches since changing my diet. The best part is that feeling this good makes me want to keep eating this way which is the best incentive and reward for staying healthy!

the backyard project part 2

Back in April I shared a peek into our backyard project and for the last three months we have been hard at work trying to get things finished and ready for summer! I happy to share that last week we were able to get the big stuff done and we are so happy with the end result.

When I look at the before photos I am amazed at how much work my dear husband Andy was able to accomplish! It wasn't easy and since it was our first time tackling a project like this, things were challenging at times. But as hard as it was, it feels so good to know that we did it ourselves- WE LOVE a good DIY project! Here is a peek at what we have been up to:

After we finished the garden back in April we had decisions to make about the rest of the space and we went back and forth about what to do. Since the yard slopes into wetlands and since we have soil that is full of clay, we are limited with what can be done. We finally decided to keep things simple and split the space up into a few different areas.

We created a play area for Lucy. We separated this area with a river rock circle and then filled it with pea gravel. We found a cute cedar playhouse at Costco (assembly took about 8 hours!) and made it the focal point of the play area. We have a few more fun things to add to this space but so far Lucy loves it!

We put in a flagstone path, dividing up the space that leads to a fire pit. 

We created a fire pit in the back corner of the yard. This is the area where the ground slopes down the most and it seemed like a great space to add a fire pit for hanging out. I'll be sharing more details about this space later this week.

The last step was to spread topsoil and put in sod which brought everything together!

We still have lots of little projects to finish but the big stuff is done and we are ready to welcome summer!

In the coming weeks I will be sharing more details and DIY projects from our backyard so stay tuned for more!

fashion friday- lucy's style

As Lucy gets older she continues to express herself with her clothing choices. We continue to have fun encouraging her to find her voice and express herself in all kinds of ways! Letting her pick out her outfit each day (and sometimes twice a day when things get messy) has been a fun process for everyone. Once in a while I like to share her outfits!

a peek inside my sketchbook- working with white pens

I get asked A LOT questions about the white pens that I use so I thought I would answer a few of those frequently asked questions today!

1. What kind of white pens do you use? I have tried just about every white pen out there and I always go back to the Sharpie Oil- Based Paint Markers in a variety of sizes. It's my favorite white pen because it works so well on different surfaces (paper, wood, canvas, etc).

2. Do your pens leak, clog, bleed or blob white ink? Yes but I haven't discovered a paint pen that doesn't. Most paint pens (that you have to shake up and then depress the tip) can be tricky at times. What I have found is that the extra fine tip is the most sensitive- it tends to clog and blob ink quite easily while the fine tip and medium tip (my two favorites) rarely ever give me problems. I have also found that the water based paint pens (while I don't use them as much as the oil based) have fewer issues.

3. My paint pens don't show up on paper, why? In my experience, I have found that the white paint pens don't work well on plain paper and if I want to use them on paper (in my sketchbook), I start with a layer of acrylic paint. If you are trying to draw over the top of watercolors, plain paper, fabric or unprimed canvas the ink typically won't show up. I am sure there are many white pens out there that will work but the white Sharpie Paint Markers seem to work best on painted surfaces.

4. How do you get so many lines and details when working with a white paint pen? I love playing with different sizes of lines and marks when I am drawing so I make sure that I have a variety of pen sizes on hand. I typically have a few extra fine point, a fine point, a medium point and a bold point on hand when I am drawing. I like to switch back and forth between the different pens- often I will outline with a fine point and do detail work and dots with my extra fine point.

OK! I hope that answers a few of those questions about my white pens! If you have a favorite white pen that you love please leave the information in a comment below.

theres no place like home

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canvas pouches in the shop!

I've got a fresh batch of canvas pouches hot off the sewing machine! Head on over to my shop HERE to see the entire collection. They always sell out fast so get em' while you can!

For those new to my blog- A big part of my creative business used to be making one of kind handbags from my canvas paintings (and then I had a baby)! Now that I have a little more time in my schedule for sewing, time to time, I have one of a kind pouches and bags available in my shop. 

infused water

We drink TONS of water in our house and this time of year I love making a big pitcher full of water infused (otherwise known as "spa water"). I use all kinds of fruits, vegi's and herbs to come up with unique tasting combos. There is something so refreshing about a cold glass of water with just a hint of flavor that makes drinking water suddenly feel special!

You can put together just about any combo- these are my current favorites- the cucumber cilantro in particular!

fashion friday- summer whites

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society6 shop now open!

I am excited to announce that I have finally stocked my Society6 shop with art. For those of you not familiar with Society6 it give artists the opportunity to upload art and immediately offer artwork for sale as art prints, home decor and more, Society6 produces these products- on demand and ships them world wide! You can head over to my shop HERE to see all that I offer!

a woodland picnic

Some of the fondest memories I have from childhood are ones that involve getting dressed up and hiking into the woods to celebrate holidays and events with my family. Our house sat on the edge of a forest that served as the backdrop for adventures, make believe, family gatherings and picnics. There was something about those woods, something that was magical and everything we did in them, even the simplest of things, felt a little more enchanted. These days, we live in a house that sits on the edge of our own forest and we have made it a priority to create similar experiences for Lucy. We want to show her that there is beauty and possibility in the simplicity of nature. That there is something quite marvelous about getting all dressed up to dine under a canopy of green trees, listening to a symphony of birds while soaking up the magic of the forest.

This post is a collaboration with the Creative Council by UGG Australia

Photos by Alisa Burke and Andy Gunthardt

My shoes- D'Alessio Lucy's shoes- Aubry Andy's Shoes- Chester