Fall Coziness

Fall in Idaho is beautiful. 

 Changing colors, gorgeous leaves on the ground, mist in the mornings over the rivers, wheat colored fields with sheep, cows, and horses.  Fall in idaho is also quite chilly, which makes our newly installed stove in our living room a very welcome addition.  I just love cozying up on the couch and watching the flames.

Here are some equally cozy rooms that I wouldn't mind doing life in. . . 

{All photos courtesy of Pinterest}

Hope you feel inspired.  These photos are eye candy to me!

~Callie

New In The Shop

Hey There!

I am SO excited because I have a bunch of fabulous new designs coming to Sterling and Grace in the next couple of weeks.  Lovely matte gold and silver earrings and necklaces that are sweet, and dainty and will beautifully compliment anything.

Here's some of what's currently in the shop . . .

You can find these pieces and more, as well as see what's added in the next couple of weeks by going to my shop here: Sterling and Grace

Have a great weekend!

 ~Callie

Go Play Outside

I took the plunge today.  I accepted an Etsy team request and jumped back into being part of a community with weekly treasury competitions.  It's been awhile, and it feels exciting to be back with a team.  

This week, the theme given is "Outdoors", and below, you can see my compilation.  

Etsy sellers never fail to supply me with oodles of inspiration with their products.  

Check out these lovely items below.

and . . .

Go Play Outside

Have a lovely day!

~Callie

Finished! 7 Lbs in 7 Days

Finish Line: Well, we made it!  7 days of juice fasting and we did it!  My husband dropped 10 lbs (lucky guy!) and I dropped 5.6 lbs in the 7 days, not quite the 7 lbs that they said I would, but it still feels really good.  I'm wearing dress pants that I didn't quite fit into before this, which is a victory!  I still want to drop about 10 more pounds to be at my ideal weight, so this has been a good start.

The last day of the fast was good and a little hard too.  I was quite tired of juicing by the end of the day, even though I love juicing, and by the evening, I was stoked to get to go to bed.  When I got up this morning, I wanted nothing to do with my juicer, so my husband and I started out slow with watermelon.  Then, I showered and got ready for the day, and made us eggs with spinach and a little bacon.  I sautéed brussel sprouts for myself with Johnny's seasoning also, and the combo tasted divine.  Unfortunately, the eggs did not settle well with my husband's stomach.  Poor guy.  We took the rest of the day slow and ate small portions, which helped.

It's weird though.  All of the things I craved while juicing, didn't sound that appealing to me today.  We even opted out of getting Chinese food like we had planned (probably a good thing).  And honestly, I still crave sweets.  I'd love to eat a big chocolate chip cookie right now.  I've eaten a little super dark chocolate and that has helped.  And, although my stomach has filled quickly today, I have wanted to eat and eat.  

In all, this entire process has been quite interesting.  Feeling great, then really tired; food cravings, then not; happy then irritable.  It's just interesting.

So, to wrap up, am I glad we did this?  Absolutely.  Do I want to do it again right away.  No.  Am I going to incorporate juicing into my daily routine?  Yes.  Am I going to go back to eating breads and refined flour and sugars?  No, only on occasion.  Am I going to eat mostly fruits, vegetables, meats and fish?  Yes!  Am I going to keep losing weight and feeling better and better in my clothes.  You had better believe it.  And, finally, do I recommend that others try this?  Yes.  Take the challenge and see how you feel.  I believe it can only do good things, despite the moments it feels challenging.  

So, thanks for following my progress.  It's been fun to journal throughout this journey.

~Callie

Day 6: 7 Lbs in 7 Days

Day 6:  It is the end of day six on the 7 Lbs in 7 Days juice fast that my husband and I have embarked on this last week.  One more day and we get to chew a meal!  Woo hoo!  I can't wait!

Today was actually a pretty good day.  Work had me busy for most of it, my husband and I worked out in the yard afterwards, and then we watched Cinderella Man (oh, how I love that movie!) in the evening.  It probably also helped that two of the juices today had a bit of plain yogurt in them.  But, overall, it didn't feel too hard today.

Even so, one consistent factor has remained throughout this entire journey:  No matter how great we feel, we can't wait to eat!  Seriously, I think my taste buds and my sense of smell have heightened.  I'm very in tuned with the smells of food around me wherever I go.  

I think this fast has actually helped my sweet tooth too, because I'm not craving sweets.  I want whole foods - meats, fruits, vegetables.  Meat and salad, meat and salad, they're all I want!  

I was down another . 5 lbs this morning for a total of 5. 2 lbs lost in the last five days.  And don't underestimate the impact of five pounds.  I mistakenly neglected to measure myself before we started, but by the way my clothes fit, I can tell that I have lost inches.  I really feel good.

I joke with my husband that the best part of going to bed at night is getting to wake up and see how much weight I've lost.  

And speaking of that, it's 10:28pm.  Time for bed.

Goodnight.

~Callie