I dyed my wedding dress!

This past week I decided I wanted to try to dye my wedding dress.  We were invited to go to a wedding on our wedding anniversary and I have always wanted to wear it again so I figured it was perfect timing.  However, I didn't want to be "that girl" wearing ivory and lace at a wedding.  I started wishing I had planned better and had the dress dyed.  After thinking long and hard about whether I will ever actually wear it again if it stayed ivory, I decided to go for it and dye my wedding dress.  I have dyed quite a few things so I am very familiar with the process but I was still super nervous that I might end up ruining the dress.  

Here are a few before photos from my wedding:  

So, as you can see, my dress wasn't a traditional dress.  It's a great cocktail party dress style.  The only thing in the way was the color.  So, I decided to GO FOR IT!  The dress is satin underneath with a lace overlay.  I knew the fabrics would take the color differently based on the internet research I did.  Lace takes color fast.  Satin, not so much.  This worked to my advantage!  I got the entire dress soaking wet in hot water and boiled some water on the stove.  I used an old plastic tub for the dying and sat it inside our bathtub.  I poured the boiling water into the tub and filled the rest with water as hot as possible.  I mixed the dye using a full bottle of RIT liquid purple and I added a dash of RIT liquid black.  I really just guessed on the amounts.  I put the dress in sopping wet and stirred non-stop.  The directions said to do it for 30 minutes but at 20 it started getting darker than I preferred.  I pulled it out early rinsing it with water starting with hot and gradually getting colder.  After that I stuck it in the washer on cold delicate and worried non-stop that it would work out.  After the short wash I hung it to dry.  As it dried it lightened up a bit and became the PERFECT color.  The satin took the dye as a pinkish-blush color and the lace is a deep plum.  I didn't do anything special to it at all, it just turned out that way.  I actually think it looks better dyed.

I was so excited to try it on!  I was really worried it might shrink in the process but I don't think it did.  So glad that it still fits perfectly after 6 years!  Many of the guests at the reception were family and my dress was recognized right away.  Lots of compliments and "how did you do that?"  I'm so glad I dyed it and I can't wait to wear it again.  

I just burned 443 calories doing 45 minutes of Kathy Kaehler's Basic Workout Class.

tuna salad made healthier!

Tuna is pretty healthy for you but I have an issue eating it straight for some reason.  Today I was craving tuna salad.....but traditional tuna salad has so many calories and lots of fat from using mayo.  I made a version today using plain, lowfat greek yogurt in the place of the mayo.  It totally satisfied my craving and didn't sabotage my good eating habits for the day.  Win-Win!

Here is what I used based on what I had at home.  You could make it even better nutritionally by adding fresh herbs, shredded carrots or diced celery, avocado, cucumber, just about any veggie!

tuna
green onions (from my garden!!)
small amount of relish
plain, lowfat greek yogurt
small amount of mustard
salt/pepper to taste

I loaded it on top of a piece of toasted Ezekial Bread.  Tasty!!  A huge side of watermelon was the perfect compliment on this hot, summer day!

Thinking of Parker...

This week I've been thinking a lot about Parker.  It has been almost a year since we had to put him to sleep and I still cry every time I think about it.  He was my first "adult life" dog.  He was there to protect Ezra and me before anyone else was around.  He and Ezra were best friends from the very beginning.  It took awhile before he warmed up to me, but after that we were best friends.  He was such a beautiful boy that I ignored the adoption coordinator when she told me about his separation anxiety.  He broke out of every crate I put him in, so eventually I gave up and he didn't eat TOO many things.  (Just my couch and my favorite shoes.)  

I love Klaus tons and tons but I will never forget all of the great memories Parker and our family had together.  I miss him so much.  He is in my heart forever and ever.  

Klaus and Parker have so many common characteristics, which isn't a bad thing.  I tell Klaus that Parker is his older brother and even though I sound crazy, I don't care.  I saved them both from shelters and that makes me even more thankful that I got to be in their lives and vice versa.  

Slow Cooker Black Beans

Soak 3 cups dried black beans.  I let them soak for 3 days- 2 on the countertop and 1 in the fridge.
Rinse and toss in the crock pot.

Add 4-5 cups of chicken/veggie broth or water.
4 bay leaves
2 tsp. cumin
1-2 tsp. ground cayenne
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. tumeric
5-6 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 white or yellow onion
2 carrots- I used the micrograter.
2 ribs of celery- diced small

Cook for 8-10 hours on low.

At this point, I put the crockpot in the fridge and let it cool off overnight.  The next morning I divided the batch into smaller portions and froze a lot of it to use later.  I was able to get 5 servings of 16 ounces each.    (A can of black beans is 15 ounces and can cost .89 cents-1.29 for organic.)

This recipe cost me approximately $1.50 to make so I was able to save about 6 dollars by making them myself.  I like the piece of mind of knowing what all of the ingredients were and there aren't any extra chemicals added.  Most of the ingredients were organic which makes even more savings.

Add your favorite toppings to serve:   fresh cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

YUMMY.

You can't out-exercise a bad diet!

I ate so much food on Mother's Day and I didn't even start eating until 3pm.  By that point I was STARVING and ate way too much at one time.  By the end of the evening I felt disgusting which made me start thinking about my eating habits.  I workout 5-6 days a week for at least an hour, but I still can't get rid of my belly.  I get bloated when I eat certain foods but they are so good that I don't have the discipline to stop eating them.  I've decided today that I am going to take better care to watch what I put into my body.  Of course, I am not going to go crazy and restrict things, but I splurge on things more than I should.  (Starbucks!)  Time to just say no to my cravings!!    

Tips I need to remember:

• Eat 4-6 small meals per day
• Snack on bananas, non fat yogurt, nuts and seeds 
• Cut down on portion size – a fist full is enough
• Choose lean proteins – tuna, salmon, egg whites, lean beef, turkey breast, ground turkey
• Increase water drinking and stick to non caffeinated beverages – an average person adds an extra 500-800 calories per day drinking soda
• Choose healthy fats – extra virgin olive oil
• Eat high fiber carbs – corn tortillas, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread
• Cut back on alcohol intake
• Don’t think you have to clean your plate 
• Track daily calories 

New watch!

Today I got my heart rate monitor watch from amazon.

 http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Ironman-Trainer-Monitor-Silver/dp/B001GWUE02/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=I18NYJNYELU0UK&colid=206RP0LEKQ1NG

I can't wait to start using it to intensify my workouts and keep a more accurate heart rate and calorie count.

When the chickens see me coming they all run up the ladder to meet me.  I guess they've realized where their food comes from.

Bikini season is almost here!

This year I’ve decided to make a career at doing what I love and pursue some fitness ventures. Most of you know that I am now an AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor. I also got my Pilates Certificate and I am ViPR Certified. (http://www.viprfit.com/) I am getting ready to start teaching classes at the Ransburg YMCA and I am really excited to help other people with their health and fitness goals.

money, money, money.