day 1 nanowrimo - excited

Happy First Day of NaNoWriMo!

1,667 words

30 days

I haven't written anything yet but I have tons of ideas and outlines planned out. Characters are still in the works, minus the ones I already have. Which, really, isn't much. But... I'm hopeful. I'm going to try to get my 1,667 in before the night is through. If not, I better get my butt in gear tomorrow! Good luck to all of my fellow NaNoWriMo'ers. 

Five Questions

Grabbed this from Amber over at Adventures in AmberLand.


5 places you need to visit: 
Ireland
Scotland
England
Maine
California

5 places you would love to call home: 
Maine
Pennsylvania
Ireland
California
England

Top 5 favorite things in your life: 
My Kids
Writing
Reading
Losing weight
Determination in everything I do!

5 things you want to cross off your bucket list or goal list this year:
Finish writing one of my novels.
Reach my goal weight.
Start a Diary and Write in it Everyday.
Stop caring about what people think.
Have fun.


5 random facts about yourself: 
Spiders make me hyperventilate.
I have a fear of Bridges.
I’ve never been on a plane.
I start things and never finish them… (I’m hoping this changes)
I never feel like I'm good enough, for anyone or anything.

Losing Weight

I have been on a calorie counting diet since April 24, a SlimFast diet since about 3 weeks ago and going to the gym almost daily since May 15. Finally on Saturday for the first time in about 5 years I felt good about myself. I have lost a total of 9 pounds! Now, that may not be a lot or even enough to be noticeable to others that I have in fact lost weight, but it was a huge milestone to me. Every ten pounds I lose will be like winning the lottery. I'm proud of myself and even more motivated than I was before. I am hoping that during this summer I can actually buy some clothes and feel comfy and not like a whale who everyone is talking about. So hopefully I will have enough confidence to post some pics of my progress. If not, I'll just write here and there about my accomplishment.

P.S. Eating healthier can actually be fun and tastes great!!

Halloween Time!

My favorite time of year has always been Halloween. I'm a horror movie junkie, a lover of the creepy and misunderstood. The scarier the better. I love everything there is to love about Halloween. From the movies to even the colors. So every year I like to try to do something fun for the kids. This year I decided to do some decorative cupcakes. I also made the kids a dark red drink of Pepsi and the juice from the Maraschino Cherries. It was actually pretty good.

So during my browsing on the web and magazines I found some fun ideas for cupcakes. Some were extremely time consuming. Some were kinda lame the more I thought about them and some were so perfect. Those became an issue since I could only pick 3 to make. I would have done more but I didn't want to take all day doing this.




Finally after debating with myself on what to make my adorably bratty children, I chose the three in the above picture. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes, Haunted Forest Cupcakes and Vampire Cupcakes. I changed a couple of things on the cupcakes though. Which make them feel more like mine then something I just found. Just simple tiny things.

For one, instead of putting mini Reese's on the top of my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ones, I piped chocolate spider webs. It was so annoying making them at times but the outcome was awesome. With the Vampire ones instead of having a pie filling like most recipes suggested, I used Red Velvet cake.

Since I suck at giving directions and I didn't entirely follow directions, I will just kinda tell you what I did and hope that I don't sound like a rambling idiot. :)

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes


1 box of desired chocolate cake
1 bag of melting chocolates (I used Dark Chocolate)
Confectioners Sugar
Milk
Peanut Butter
Unsalted Butter (1-3 sticks)

Now I apologize for not being able to give you a precise recipe because I go by eye and taste, but I used 1 small jar of Peanut Butter, half a box of Confectioners Sugar and 1 stick of butter. The milk I put in just a small amount at a time and would add as needed.

Spider Web Template


Haunted Forest Cupcakes


1 box of desired dark chocolate cake mix
1 bag of melting chocolates (I used Dark Chocolate)
1 tub Cream Cheese Frosting

I didn't use frosting on this cupcake other than the cream cheese frosting for the ghosts. The recipe called for two different sized chocolate morsels for the eyes and to make a mouth, but instead I just made my own with the melting chocolate. After making your cupcakes wait for them to cool and pipe your ghosts. Add your eyes and mouths if desired. Place your haunted trees (template below) where you see fit. I personally like them slightly to the side of the ghost.

Haunted Tree Template


Vampire Cupcakes


1 box Red Velvet Cake
1 tub Cream Cheese Frosting
1 tube of decorative red gel

After you put your frosting on make two uneven lines of red gel on each cupcake. At the start of each line poke a hole. I used the back of a paint brush. Super simple. If you would like to do the original recipe for this click here.

How cute is this little guy? I seriously almost didn't want to eat him. I'm sure you know how that ended though.

Operation Beautiful and The Shine Project

Through my blog surfing today I came across a site that I have been following that is doing a Sticky Notes of Kindness challenge. I started to read about this really cleverly cute idea and came across another blog called Operation Beautiful. The creator of that blog had started pretty much the same thing some time ago.

I started to read more into Operation Beautiful and was completely inspired. I know myself, that if I was to find one of these sticky notes in a random place that it would lift my spirits. I absolutely love people who enjoy helping others like this. In a world where you feel like you are alone sometimes, it's a good feeling to know that there are not only others with similar situations that can give advice, but also people who go out of their way to try to make someone smile. I will admit, when I read these two blogs - I smile.

I'm going on vacation in two weeks and me and my daughter Gianna decided that we would like to use this vacation to participate in Operation Beautiful and Sticky Notes of Kindness. Now being they are both basically on the same page it will maybe make it a little easier on us to be apart of both. (I sound so lazy and I completely apologize for that.)

So I will be making a list of the color post-it notes, sharpie's (a MUST), and inspirational words I will be using for this little project. I think this is a good lesson to teach my daughter and a positive out look for myself.

I have been feeling extremely out of place and almost lost since my sons accident. Now, I hate bringing it up just as much as people I'm sure hate hearing about it - but the fact of the matter is, no matter how hard I try to convince myself that I'm ok and that I'm better - I'm not. I worry about everything. I can't stop thinking about the what-if's in life more than normal. I can't look at myself in a mirror without cringing and I can't stop thinking about why I dislike what my life has become. My son's accident put me so far down in a depression that everything else in life - even the most trivial - have become something for me to worry about or hate. Most have to do with what happened to him. But some, like how I look which has nothing to do with him, has become something that affects me on a daily basis.

When I see things like the above challenges, it gives me hope. I swear to you, as the sun shines bright, it gives me hope. I need any inspiration and any hope that I can get my hands on. If writing a few positive words on a post-it can do that then I think I owe myself enough to try it out.

And I think if you have even the slightest drop of negativity towards yourself or your life, I think you owe it to yourself to try it out too. It should be fun!

If you do decide to follow, I would love to see your photos!

Camp NaNoWriMo

I was reminded a week ago about my promise to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo. Thank God for that reminder because in all honesty... I forgot. I really wanted to be apart of this not only for the fun of it, but also to push my lazy a** into writing! I haven't been keeping a single promise I made to myself when it comes to writing in 2011. Why? Because I have 3 children that literally demand my attention almost 24/7, a husband who sometimes is like a 4th child and in-laws that I live with and well, I don't think I need to get into that one.

When I get the writing bug my children won't give me a moment to write. When they go to sleep and there isn't a soul to block my concentration; I'm too tired. So it seems that lately I just can't win. But I need to try. NEVER GIVE UP! That has to be my motto! (Along with 'Believe nothing you see and only half of what you hear.' ) So here is me trying very hard to keep up with my writing. Maybe, just maybe this will help.

I was hoping that I would have at least half of my novel done by the time I start work (kids will be in school a full day as of September 8th so back to work I GO!), but at this rate it will not be the case. So if you know how I feel even in your own way; pray for me. Even if you are one of the lucky ones that never experienced what I'm saying; pray for me. I can use anything at this point. Spiritual, good vibes... etc. etc. So, if you are on the Camp grounds and want to check out if I am trying hard enough, click for my profile here.

Tour of Secrets GIVEAWAY!!!

So I have been following the amazing author Heather McCorkle for awhile now. She is not only an amazing author but a completely awesome person too! So it's no wonder that she would be having such an equally awesome giveaway for the release of her new book The Secret of Spruce Knoll. Rules are simple and the prizes are well, awesome! Click HERE to enter yourself! Good Luck!