The MC - Day 2 and 3

Alright, alright, alright... we're blowin' and goin' over here in cleanse-town.  This part of the year is my personal preference for doing a cleanse as I feel hungry less when it's warm outside, plus... it's warm and sunny, there's always things to go do outside to help distract from wanting to snack and eat a lot.  During the winter, that's exactly what I want to do... eat a lot.  The downside to cleansing during the summer is that there's a lot of amazing stuff going on and it's a pretty busy time of year.  This is both good and bad.  Good in that your days are full and exciting, Bad, no Challenging, because you're usually surrounded by delicious grilled foods and drinks and social events with eating and drinking, and because you have to plan accordingly to fit all of those things in.  The past couple of days has been no exception to this Summertime dilemma.



Day 2:

Day 2 started off well.  Upon waking up, I made myself my first Salt-water Flush (2 tsp. of sea salt mixed with 32 oz. of warm water).  The SWF has never been my favorite part of the clean, but then again, it's a challenge, so down went the salty water mix.  It helps to think of the drink as a salty broth.  I'm just not that into saltiness, so here again, this bits a challenge for me.

Thirty minutes to an hour or so after finishing the drink, I began to feel a gurgle in my stomach, the mixture brewing in my guttyworks.  This part is important, as it's helping to really work out any waste just sitting around in the colon mucking up our systems and potentially creating more dangerous problems down the road.  After I let my gurgling stomach brew for a bit, I went to the restroom to relieve myself and whooooooosh, that's that.  One BIG tip:  AT NO TIME DURING THIS PORTION OF THE CLEANSE SHOULD YOU FART.  YOU WOULD HAVE A DISASTER IN YOUR PANTS WHICH WOULD REQUIRE YEARS OF MOVING FAR AWAY FROM HOME AND HAVING TO RECREATE A NEW IDENTITY IN ORDER TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND FIND A NEW FAMILY WHO WILL LOVE YOU AGAIN.

The rest of the day went as per usual.  I drank approximately 6 glasses of the lemonade drink.  My friend, Stacey came over and we threw around some ideas for projects that we would like to do and then I headed on to a bachelorette party that I was attending later that evening.  The bachelorette party was a lot of fun, but here again, it becomes difficult with socializing.  However, playing drinking games with the rest of the gals and taking swigs of your lemonade instead of shots of tequila is definitely one way to make sure you drink the sufficient amount for the day AND it doesn't leave you with a hangover! Let's play drinking games every night!

At the end Day 2 I had a bit of a headache, however I drank my nightly smooth move tea, and hit the hay.

Day 3:

On Day 3 I skipped the SWF because Joey and I had my friend, Deidre's wedding to attend at noon and I didn't want to risk putting myself in a precarious situation.  So, I made up my drank for the day and we headed out to the chapel.

The wedding was beautiful and so were the bride and groom!

The rest of the day Joey and I enjoyed together, relaxing and catching up on Mad Men and then watching David Gordon Green's latest film, Joe, which was a beautiful return to the familiar world's and characters in his first film's.  Joe was an intense and impressive film with simple storytelling involving complex and dynamic characters. In his characters depth is where I've always found my love for David Gorden Green's film's and the stories within them and through Tim Orr's cinematography his movie's become Art. It was a beautiful Saturday night.

At the end of the night, my headache returned, plus, earlier in the day, I started my cycle, so I drank my tea and put myself to bed in order to relieve myself of both headache and cramps.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about the cleanse or anything else!  Talk to you soon!

The MC - Day 1

Day 1 went pretty well overall.  I started the morning off waking up early (I usually wake up early, so this wasn't a problem for me) and responding to the call of nature, or, in this instance, the call of my natural herbal tea laxative (I use Peppermint Smooth Move by Traditional Medicinals).  The laxative works very well and works pretty well with my schedule as I typically wake up around 7:00am (give or take a few) and need to be going and blowing around 10:00am.  It didn't infringe on my morning routine whatsoever, though I would recommend being near a bathroom just in case.

On Day 1, I read where you don't have to do the Salt Water Flush (more on that tomorrow) on your first day of the cleanse, so I skipped it.

After walking the dogs, taking a shower, and doing my morning yoga, I got myself ready for work and headed out for my first lemonade-full day around the restaurant.  The day went well, and it wasn't too difficult, though I did feel a little low on energy and it is a little torturous to be around so much good food.  Oh well... I will have plenty of time to plan the perfect meal upon finishing this bad boy.

After work, Joey met me at the restaurant and we both hopped into the car to visit his Nona and my Mimi.  Nona went to the hospital the other day with a bad UTI infection and kidney stones and (possibly) a pinched nerve.  When we went to visit, she was feeling pretty good as long as she didn't move around too much.

On Memorial Day, Mimi fell from her hydraulics chair onto her face breaking her nose, bruising her wrists and knees and busting up her forehead.  True to the war horse that she is, when Joey and I showed up to visit, she woke up, face bandaged, black and blue all over, telling stories about the family, how she used to play basketball as a girl until the 9th grade when they told her girls weren't tough enough to play basketball, and reliving memories on the farm.  I've been incredibly fortunate in my life to not only know and love all 4 of my grandparents, but also to be able to know them, share with them, and truly enjoy spending time with them, and Mimi is no exception to that.  She always surprises me with new stories and different perspectives and, most importantly of all, her love of Darla ;).  She asked to have Darla once, while I lived with her for a short while... ha, I had to tell my grandmother that she couldn't have my dog, though Darla did prefer her.

Nona and Mimi, you both keep trucking on like the war-horses you are!  Love you both!

So, to conclude, after driving from one side of the city to the other to different hospitals, we made the drive home from Mississippi back to Midtown.  I drank my herbal tea laxative and Joey and I hit the hay, ready to get up and do it all again.

Until tomorrow!

Day 3 of Easing in, moving on to Day 1...

Day 3 of easing on to the MC consisted of fresh squeezed orange juice (I added a little Grade B maple syrup for calories and some water to taste and to stretch the drink).  It was a fairly easy day.  Whenever I felt a bit hungry, I'd turn to my Millie's teas or down some more orange juice.  A whole bag of 7 Florida Navel Oranges carried me through the entire day quite nicely.  I worked last night, so it was a good indicator on how I will feel working while cleansing, specifically around a bounty of delicious (and I mean delicious!) vegan food.  It was a bit challenging, but I'm excited about this cleanse, and I've got my goals and motivation at the front of my thoughts, so it wasn't too difficult.  Remembering my reasons, and the benefits for doing this cleanse will help pull me through the end while working around food.

Upon coming home from work, Joey and I watched Prisoners, an extremely intense movie that I wouldn't necessarily recommend watching literally *right* before you go to bed.  The film was suspenseful, beautifully shot, and the acting was fantastic (especially Jake Gyllenhal's in my opinion), and it left the viewer a lot to chew on.  However, it's not necessarily the kind of movie that sends you off into a restful dreamland.  I sipped my Herbal laxative tea (for the morning) and covered my eyes when needed and then Joey and I hit the sack.

In the meantime, I've been participating in this 30 day yoga challenge.  It's SUPER easy and relaxing, so I've been able to fit it in early in the morning before starting my day.  I usually prefer a bit longer of a workout, but as I've had absolutely no exercise routine as of late, this one has fit into my schedule well. Right now, I'm on Day 4.  Check it out!

So today starts Day 1 of the cleanse, so I'll check back in tomorrow to report about how the day went.  Until then!

The Master Cleanse Revisited

Ok, 3 years ago--whoa, was it really 3 years!?-- I successfully completed The Master Cleanse.  I've been wanting to do it once a year every year since then, however time and scheduling defeated me and I haven't found a good chance until now.  I'm pretty adamant about doing the cleanse during the summertime, therefore I've created a limited time for myself to pull it off.  Summertime = Sun = playtime = hot and sweaty = wants to drink more and eat less = the perfect time for Megan to complete a cleanse.

I'm super excited... I finally upgraded my phone yesterday and so now I have an awesome phone that can take fancy flip pictures like this one!

Why the hell would anyone drink that crazy lemonade mixture for 10 days straight (some people go for longer) you ask?  Well, recently I've realized that, despite being vegan, their is still delicious, healthy whole foods packed with nutrients, and there are still junk foods that are technically vegan, and my habits as of recently have leaned towards the latter.  I've been feeling sloppy, sluggish, and, as I mentioned in my previous post, just in a rut.  Last time I did the cleanse, I was using it as a way to start my body with a "fresh slate" before truly committing to vegetarianism.  I'd been vegetarian off and on my whole life, and for whatever reasons: gaps in consciousness, denial, and/or the fact that I needed to grow a pair and stand behind my values (all of the above), I hadn't yet made that transition official and I felt like a cleanse would be an appropriate way to finally step into my lifestyle.

I use the cleanse to detox from all of the bad foods I've been eating uninhibitedly, as well as clean out my digestive system to clear out toxins and make way for healthier eating/healthier habits.  It also makes me feel pretty empowered to take a challenge and complete it, so there's also the mental satisfaction that motivates me to do the Cleanse.

So, as of right now, I'm on the second day of easing on to the cleanse.  This means liquid juices throughout the day and a healthy plant-based dinner tonight.  Tomorrow will be an all juice kind of day ending with an herbal laxative to start me off on the cleanse on Thursday.  Yesterday I simply started my day off with a smoothie, ate a light lunch, and then celebrated memorial day with friends (with THESE awesome people!).  I admit, I drank beer which I probably should have cut out, but oh well, it was Memorial Day and we were with friends and I used it as a kind of "last Hurrah", so expect me to begin posting a daily (hopefully) journal of the Cleanse and how I'm feeling/faring.

Recently, I won a give-away!!!

 I've entered a bunch of give-aways, but I've never won one before, so I was stoked!  My new friend Bianca, at Vegan Crunk, posted this plug-in for Millie's Savory Teas.  They're Green Tea infused sipping broth and they're delicious!  Perfect for my three days of easing into the cleanse!  When I'm feeling hungry, I have all of these delicious flavors to sip on.  They're awesome.

I'm looking forward to this week and starting the Cleanse.  I may be a bit grumbly, but we'll see...we shall see....

So, to conclude, like last time I'll start with this info...

Start date: 5/29

End date: 6/7

Plus an additional three days easing into, three days easing out.

Starting weight: 131 lbs

(just to be clear, I'm not doing this for the weight loss, though it is a nice side benefit.  Once you're off the cleanse it is extremely easy to put the weight right back on, which is the incentive to begin making healthier eating choices, but my main goal is to get my body back to a healthier place.)

I look forward to writing more and catching up with you!  Talk to you later and wish me luck!

Before, After, meanwhile...

Forever ago, I posted about a class on Skillshare that I was taking during a far too busy time in my schedule (at least I probably should not have been worrying about this kind of frivolity).  Due to the fact that I was so busy, I could not properly keep up with the homework, though I thoroughly enjoyed the class.  It was one of those happy projects mixed in with several other big projects that kept me going and sane during a big grind.  After all, happy is important and just as important as important, right?

I never completed the class entirely (at least on my end), but since then, as I've found the time, I've worked in the extra "homework" on my own time.  So, here's one of the assignments from the class...

The Console:

Before...

After...

It could still use a little bit of work... but it's getting there.

Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, I've been rearranging the apartment like a mad ant creating the perfect ant hill.  I'm determined to make a work space... and so far it's working.  The shot of the closet is proof of the first step.  

Pairing down and consolidating is the name of the game, so my first objective was to combine Joey and I's clothes into one closet, instead of spread out around the apartment like they had been.  This closet used to be a supply closet, but then it turned into a crazy nightmare because it simply could not hold all of the supplies and art projects that Joey and I both have.  It was silly to think that it would.  Once, while trying to work on a project for work (our computer used to reside there), the closet literally caved in on me and I had to crawl out of the mess.  Therefore, I'm creating a solution...

A solution that will allow me to do more of this...

Artwork. 

 Sadly, I don't have any recent artwork that I've been working on.  I was scrolling through my pictures thinking that surely there was some doodle, at least, to use as an example to represent my illustration, painting, collaging, or something... but there was really nothing.  This laptop has not seen A SINGLE piece of new artwork since we bought it close to a year ago.  That needs to be remedied, so put it on the list at #1 of Studio/Workroom activities.

This...

Sneaky Snake

This (the pom bottle) to this...

Before...

After...

Recycled plastic vessel into pretty bud vase.

AND this...

Although I love having Darla as a work partner, a bed as a desk does not properly suit laptop, scanner, and printer.  Neither does the coffee table or the kitchen table properly conduct themselves as a workspace for Art, Sewing, and Crafting projects.  It's time to get organized and get working (properly) over here.  If Joey and I are going to be creating and working properly, then we don't need to set ourselves up for failure by having a dysfunctional space.

So... that's what's happening in the meantime...

What do you guys think about the console makeover?

Happy Wednesday!  See you Friday!

Monday, Monday...

Hey guys!

Sorry about the silence during last week's Wednesday/Friday posts.  Things have gotten very busy in a very non-busy way.  I realize that that makes no sense, but there's been a lot of sorting through things going on over here and I'm doing my best to do it to it.  I'm going to leave that vagueness right there where I put it and revisit it later...  Hope you don't mind.

In the meantime, I need to upload some pictures for future posts, but I do know that one thing is for certain...  this workout video needs to make it into my life very soon...

Also, if anyone has an extra copy of Sweatin' to the Oldies, let me know!  I've been keeping an eye out for it at thrift stores...

Love them both!

I hope you all had a great weekend spent with a gorgeous moon!



Happy Monday!

Who you callin' bulky?

Before buying in bulk, you first need to make sure that you are prepared.  When storing bulk items, you  can no longer count on the boxed or bagged packaging for freshness, but on the permanent containers that you have at home.  I've always loved the look of mason or bell jars, however, the prettiest ones that I find at the thrift store or antique store don't always convince me that they will actually seal in freshness... and that's what we're going for here... keeping our food fresh.

Here are a few online examples of bulk storage...

http://www.escapadeblog.com/2010/06/house-that-emerson-made.html

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

I found these beautiful green "snap-close" jars that perfectly matched and melded with my blue jars that I had picked up from the thrift store years ago!  They were a cool-colored match made in heaven AND, with the rubber-snap-enclosure, they keep in freshness.  

Families reunited...

I had already been using the blue jars to store pasta, rice, lentils, and beans.  So now that I had extra "green" storage (works on two levels!), I could store more of our foods, especially now that we have an awesome grocery store nearby that was recently renovated and boasts a badass bulk section!!! 

Bulk options at Grocery Stores... hopefully we will begin seeing many more of these pop up... http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

So now that I had the means to store bulk foods, I needed to sort, consolidate, and organize the food into the jars and in and around the pantry.  It was the perfect opportunity to get some organizing/cleaning done to a long-neglected area of our busy little apartment.

First came the purge... I'm really good at making messes, so this was a piece of cake although, if Joey hadn't been at work, he might have just thought I was making a mess without any other intentions... you know, sometimes it happens.

Here's the mess:

 Darla waited patiently the entire time for food to rain down from the sky...

After clearing out the cabinets came a quick clean...

And then came the challenging part--for me anyway--organizing:

First, I found all food products that I had multiples of and consolidated them...

... which left more room in the pantry to organize... in alphabetical order of course!

Any food products that I thought I might need instructions for, I simply cut out the instructions on the packaging and dropped them in the jar with the food.  In the future, I'll skip the packaged food and simply keep the instructions in the jar.

I have one giant pot for dye projects specifically, so I just used the pot itself as storage for my dye products and clothes, fabrics, that I plan on dyeing.

The utensil drawer isn't any major feat of organizing, but it's definitely in better shape than it was.

Noodle and Darla trying to comprehend the madness...

After nearly a day of gathering my resources/motivation, I stepped away from a disaster of a kitchen, to a warm, inviting, and relaxing space.  I can now quietly pour my coffee in the morning and my wine at night without feeling an overwhelming sense of failure as a sanitary, disheveled human being... at least where the kitchen is concerned.  *Sigh*.....

Bulk jars lining the counter, so that they're both accessible and beautiful :)

Basic cooking necessities (vinegar, oil, hot sauce), nearby, sitting pretty...

I even took some time to re-organize the two baskets on the cart, the baking sheets, and the pot lids, which I keep "filed" in an old dish-drying rack that was my grandparents (I know, weird object to keep around, but it always reminded me of them).

New and improved cabinets with space up top to spare for baking pans, casserole dishes, griddle, and mixing bowl...

I stepped out of the house momentarily to go search for some baskets at a nearby antique/thrift store.  I wanted to use them to help sort out various things in the cabinets.  I scored the two baskets above, and a cool little wooden box with handle (not shown, but I'm keeping it under the sink, holding my seed collection).  I picked up all three for $5.  Here, I've sorted all of the breakfast items in one place, and used the basket on the first shelf to "file" oatmeal packets and unopened jars of home-made jam (Made with love by my friend Garre's mom, Laura!).

Flours and various "mediums" were sorted in the longer basket.

Cans, cooking spice blends, and broths above, and boxed necessities + crackers below.

Organized spices...

Cooking aids...

And, extra picnic/party disposables leftover from a hungry film crew and classroom parties.

I love our cozy (no longer scary and uninviting) new kitchen...

And, the best part of this week... Joey and I get to celebrate our 3rd year as a married couple!  Three years and hopefully many, many more to come!

Here are some helpful resources for shopping "in bulk" and the benefits of doing so...

Why make the switch:

• Facts about Recycling and Waste
• Eliminate Plastic
• Why shopping secondhand is great

Starting the change:

• 5 reasons to shop from the Bulk Bins
• Making the switch from plastic
• Buying in Bulk for small spaces
• Best Pantry Organizers
• 5 ways to cut down on packaging
• More tips to cutting down on packaging
• Easy, drop in your purse and go, reusable bags - these are a bit pricey, but for the long run, they would be worth it.  I currently use all of the cloth reusable totes that I receive from in-services, workshops, and meetings... they really are easy to obtain for free, although, they're not as easy to have on hand for a random shopping stop.
• Reusable bulk and food produce bags

Being green is fun:

• 45 ideas for recycling plastic bottles
• 25 ideas for how to recycle plastic bags
• In fact, have fun recycling anything
• Be a recycling fashion star
• Inspire, reduce, reuse

Happy Monday!

Sneak Peeks and a happy weekend!

This weekend I'm determined to wrap up a few projects.  Hopefully, by next week, I'll have at least 3 of my "To Do's" crossed off and I can begin whittling away at the rest.  I'm also planning on posting some "How To" posts to accompany said projects...

Would you like to take a peek?

Finishing up dresses for a few little girls in Tanzania

Memphis Fashion Week was an amazing experience in learning to design, create, and then exhibit your own clothes, however, the best part of that event was meeting other designers and staying connected and in touch to work together on projects like this one.  One of the designers, Sarah, will be traveling to Tanzania in a few weeks and will be working with her church, donating sewing machines, fabric, and supplies to women who are learning to sew as a way to earn independent income. 

While there, Sarah will be taking dresses made from a handful of designers to give to little girls in Tanzania, giving them a beautiful new article of clothing which will hopefully grow with them for a few years.  I love being a part of such a fantastic project!

Organizing the Kitchen Cabinets/Working on creating functional "Bulk Storage"

Absolutely no order up in here... none...

 I've been a messy person since the dawn of my existence.  In fact, according to this article, I'm apparently  "chronically disorganized".  I simply have an extremely hard time keeping an organized/uncluttered place.... but perhaps being messy isn't such a bad trait...

Regardless, of whether being messy is good or bad, I'm going to organize the kitchen cabinets in the spirit of fighting challenging one's own natural tendencies in order to create a more functional space for you and the person who chooses to put up with you (Joey, you're my favorite!).  After all, whether it's going against your nature or not, if you're in a relationship, then it's not just you that has to deal with your crap and clutter anymore... *sigh*...

One of the main reasons for this project is to begin implementing more "bulk storage" into our pantry.  Finding ways to eliminate unnecessary packaging/waste is easier than one might think, and we've already eliminated a lot of excess packaging in our bathroom (a post on that later?), so now it's time to take on the kitchen...

Recycled gifts (Mum wanted to get in on this action...)

I have a list of gifts that I've been meaning to make.  Unfortunately, I won't be finishing them all this weekend, but I can certainly finish a few... and I'm going to leave you pondering these plastic vessels... hmmmm...  the potential...

Also, once again in the spirit of getting projects finished, I finally finished this green dress I began when Joey and I moved into our first home as a married couple, 3 YEARS AGO!!!  I'm awful at starting projects but not finishing them.  Anywho, here it is, three years in the making, even if it would have only taken me a few hours or more to actually sit down and finish it in one sitting.

The dress was from a burda pattern.  It's the bottom right illustration on the pattern envelope.

The dress worn as is...

... and then with the lower straps pulled up, you have yourself a double-layered tank top!

This was an attempt to get a detail shot of the lower armholes at the bottom of the dress, but it's just so hard not to be distracted by lovely ladies...

What projects are you guys working on?

Stick around for "How To's", a "Hair-Do", and a recap of this week's "Double Feature"!

I hope you have an excellent weekend!  Joey and I are meeting up with one of my best buddies, Katie, to go check out this awesome band at the Levitt Shell.  I can't wait... finger's crossed it doesn't rain!