Welcome to That’s Crafty Thursday.  Today I am sharing some of the sketches that I have been working on.  I had to give the oil painting a little rest.  I was getting a little frustrated with myself.  I am trying to learn on my own and sometimes that takes patience.  Patience is NOT one of my virtues.  I guess that is why I enjoy sketching so much.  If I get frustrated I can just put the pencil down and walk away.  With the oil painting, unless I am just taking a short break, I need to clean everything up before I walk away (I know that oil paint does not dry very quickly so I could take a long break but if I turn my back, my youngest will try to help me with my painting).

Thanks for taking the time to join me today.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Today I want to share what I have been doing to go from being mistaken for my four-year old’s grandma to getting IDed for buying beer, TWICE.  The above picture is my “before” picture.  And below is my “after”.

Yes, I know that no one is mistaking me for a 21-year-old.  Here we have signs at the check out counter asking for ID for anyone who appears to be 35 or younger.  Well, being 44, I haven’t had to pull my ID out for a long time.  I was beyond shocked when I was asked to show it.  The first clerk was a little sheepish about it.  I just laughed and told him that he had just made my day.  It was nice to know that it wasn’t just wishful thinking when I was going about my daily routine and thinking that my face was looking a little better. 

I have been using my new beauty/anti-aging routine for about 12 weeks now.  It is very quick, easy and inexpensive.  I have added fresh lemons and CoQ10 cream to my daily routine.  I cut a slice of fresh lemon after my workout and rub it all over my face.  I let it dry while I do my stretches and yoga (about 15 minutes).  Then I jump in the shower and  I wash my face with Dove soap and a scrubby sponge. When I get out of the shower, I apply the CoQ10 lotion.  Finally I apply some Oil of Olay eye gel. 

I started rubbing the lemon on my face because I wanted to fade my age spots.  I remember watching the Brady Bunch and seeing Jan Brady rub lemons on her face in an effort to fade her freckles.  In the show she gave up on the lemons.  So, not knowing if I was on the right track or not, I gave it a try.  I figured I didn’t have anything to lose.  I have tried several over the counter products for reducing age spots with little or no effect.  The lemons have lightened the spots.  They are not gone but they are less noticeable.  The lemons have had the added benefit of reducing my wrinkles.  It has been a very welcome added bonus .

I added the CoQ10 lotion to my routine after hearing about it on theDr. Oz show.  I am not sure what specifically it is good for but for me I have noticed that everything seems to have lifted and tightened.  I started using it about a month after I started the lemons so I have a pretty good feel for what each is good for.

I have just a few more things to mention.  I do not put the lemon juice on my neck or throat because the skin there is too sensitive.  I do however apply the CoQ10 lotion there (same for the eye area).  The lemons are very cheap.  I think I paid 25 cents each.  I go through about one per week.  The CoQ10 lotion was a bit more pricey.  I paid $20 for the little bottle in the picture.  I have had it for almost two months and have used about half of the bottle, not too bad compared to other cream and lotions I have tried.

 Thanks for stopping in, hope you all have a wonderful week!

Welcome to Feature Friday.  Today I am featuring a new edition to our master bedroom. 

It is pretty and delicate but not too girly. 

We bought this at Amazon.com.  I thought it was very affordable for so much style.  Here is a link if your might be interested.

 You can see a little bit of the old light in this picture.  I really like the way the new light ties in with the other little pops of black in the room. 

I am almost done with this room.  I still want to replace the carpet, maybe with hardwood or maybe with bamboo.  I also want to do a brick wall behind the bed.  I am hoping to do the brick this year.  The floors – who knows?  The carpet is in good shape, it’s just not to my liking so it is pretty far down on the list.

Thanks for joining me today and have a wonderful weekend!

I have been having trouble sleeping for quite a few years.  I have had a difficult time falling asleep and staying asleep.  I have tried a few things such as, yoga, exercise, wine, and melatonin.  I have not tried warm milk even though it is supposed to be effective because I don’t like the taste of milk.  Nothing has worked for me.  I have tried sleeping pills in the past but I don’t really want to get back on them.   They were effective but too much so.

I have finally found something that works for me.  It’s called 5 HTP.  I first heard about it on Dr. Oz.  He was not suggesting it as a sleep aid though.  He suggested using it as an appetite suppressant.  Does it work as an appetite suppressant?  Well, for me yes, a little.  What was significant for me was sleep, glorious sleep.  The very first capsule I took made me sleepy by 9:30.  I was in bed by ten for the first time in years.  And what is even better, I slept through the entire night.   I also noticed with that first capsule that I took I that I was much calmer.  Little things that bothered me before seemed like no big deal.  My anxiety has all but disappeared.  

I am extremely happy with this supplement.  I take one capsule twice a day.  I have been doing this for about one month.  So far I haven’t noticed any negative side effects.  The only drawback I can come up with is it is a bit pricey.  I have seen prices anywhere from $20 -$25 per bottle.  A small price to pay for feeling better than I have in years.

Thanks so much for your visit.  Have a wonderful weekend!

For today’s Feature Friday I wanted to share a link to SheKnows. 

A little while ago Ashley from Simply Designing with Ashley Phipps contacted me about featuring my DIY Reproduction Antique Warehouse Cart Coffee Table  (Ashley writes for SheKnows).

Of Course I jumped at the offer!  Here is the link again.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Have a wonderful weekend!