I love lists. Love. I have notepads purely for lists. I also love spreadsheets. I am just odd. Simply.

So, with Christmas being in full swing (I say this because Hobby Lobby already has their Christmas stuff out. Don’t hate the messenger), I thought it’d be a good time to make my Christmas list for my husband to see.

Now, now, I know this comes off as being incredibly selfish, but the blog is titled “Monica Wants It”. You knew it was coming folks. :-D

Usually my Christmas list is something like Coach purse, pretty earrings, new clothes, world peace, and make a donation to the Humane Society in my name, sort of stuff. I’m ditching the first 3 (gotta have world peace and animals!), for something more…me. The 2009, DIY goddess in training, me.

Item #1- a miter saw

This would help me do angled stuff- like framing a door or a mirror. It’s cheap, and I think I would use it quite often once we buy a house. In 2 years. But why not have it now?!

Item #2- a jigsaw

This would be fabulous to make curvy things with. First, Mrs. Limestone made some fabulous silhouettes for her fabulous master bedroom. She’s fabulous, did I mention that? Then, I saw Lindsay’s tutorial over at Tool Talk Tuesday, and I was convinced that I had to have one and that I could totally use it. I also convinced HR to let me up my disability coverage in case I saw off a finger or 2. Dear hubby, I always keep you in mind, see? Smooches.

Item #3-  a pair of sawhorses

I don’t think I could use items 1 or 2 without one of these. I mean, my dog is pretty talented, but I don’t want his assistance when using a saw of any sort, and it’s hard to balance stuff. This is perfect! I want just basic plastic ones because I don’t see the need for fancy ones.

Item #4- a cute toolbox

This item is self-explanatory. I am an organization freak, but I also like cute stuff. This fits the bill.

Item #5- a pink toolbelt

I really don’t see myself using this a ton at the apartment, but when I am working on DIY projects with nails, hammer, measuring tape, etc. this would be mighty handy.

What are you wishing for this Christmas?

As most of you know (or those who follow me on Twitter…wink, wink), I am doing Weight Watchers Online again to lose weight. I say again because I have seriously done Weight Watchers since 2002. I started WW in August 2002- right at the beginning of my senior year of high school. I did it for a boy. A silly boy. Yeah.

By the time prom rolled along, I had lost 60 pounds. So from August to May, I dropped 60 pounds AND 4 dress sizes. Can you imagine how amazing that is to a girl who was a massive chunkster? It was amazing. Plus, it was great to lose all that weight, have said boy give me a smidge of attention only to realize I didn’t like him anymore in that way.

And then I met Daniel (my husband) and I gained back about 15. Usually the whole “freshman 15” happens, but no, I managed to only gain 15 pounds the entire 3 years I was in college. <insert applause and standing ovation>

Then I gained ANOTHER 15 pounds in like 3 months. Yes, it’s horrible. I use food to cope when I’m sad. Isn’t that sad? It is. I realize it only makes me feel worse, but yet it feels great at the time.

So, after gaining back 30 of my 60 pounds, I lost 15. And now I’ve gained back 8, and now I am trying to lose the 8 again, plus another 20 or so to finally be at my freakin’ goal weight. Did I lose you yet?

I promise there is a point to this post, and the point is that you can lose weight. Really, if I can do it, you can, too. I want to share my favorite products, tips, and recipes with you so that maybe you’ll feel inspired to join me on the journey to getting healthy. I used to stay journey to being skinny, but truly being healthy is way better than being skinny. Slightly.

And if you’re already at your goal weight and don’t have an ounce to lose, these recipes are still yummy and satisfying!

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 spray(s) cooking spray

52 oz marinara sauce, store-bought

1 medium onion(s), chopped

1 pound(s) uncooked ground chicken breast

30 oz fat-free ricotta cheese

2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

9 item(s) dry lasagna noodles

20 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

12 oz Kraft Natural Cheese Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, or other brand, 1 1/2 cup shredded

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large, deep lasagna pan with cooking spray. Measure 2 cups of marinara sauce; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until almost tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken; cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add remaining marinara sauce to skillet and stir until well combined; set aside.
  Mix together ricotta cheese, egg whites, garlic powder and Italian seasoning in a large bowl until well combined.
  To assemble lasagna, place 2 cups of reserved marinara sauce on bottom of dish. Layer with 3 noodles, 1/3 of ricotta mixture, 1/3 of spinach, 1/3 of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of chicken-sauce mixture; repeat layers ending with chicken-sauce mixture. (Make sure to spread ingredients to edge of noodles.)
  Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.
• 11 points per serving

I made this on Sunday night, and Daniel and I each had a piece. Then for lunch, we each had a piece. Then for dinner, we each had a piece. Point being, if there’s only 2 of you in the household, this creates 4 meals! Perfect for lunch or a quick dinner later on in the week. Pair it with some salad and some sparkling water, and you have yourself a great meal!

Enjoy!

Twice a month on a Saturday, our local Goodwill has all items in the store for 50% off. On every Thursday of that week, I go hide items I want. Yes, I hide them. No, I’m not going to tell you where. :-P Sometimes they’re missing, sometimes they’re still there, and this weekend, they were still there. *throws confetti and dances around*

My next project is our bedroom, and we already have the furniture moved around, and now I need accessories. Lots of accessories. I’m going to post an inspiration collage in an upcoming post. So, at garage sales and Goodwill, I am basically on the prowl for cheap accessories for the bedroom.

I know how much my readers love my cheap finds, so I wanted to gloat share!

I got all of this for $2.00 plus tax! Each item was $0.50 (regularly $1.00 each).

The gold frame will not be gold much longer, trust me. I’ll spray paint it to match one of the bedroom theme colors, and same goes for the silver one. I loved that the frames are sort of scrolly/ornate, which is what I wanted. The 2 sconces are fugly, right? I know! They’re super glossy and look like they came straight from the 80’s. These will go somewhere above our bed in the bedroom, and I feel a mod-podge project coming on with them. I am so pumped- wait until you see what I have in mind!! Squee!

More pics of my great finds:

Last weekend, we decided to drive up to San Marcos, Texas and visit the outlets. I found some runners and placemats at Marshalls (not part of the outlets, but anyway). We went to the Pottery Barn outlet, and I still found everything to be too expensive. Am I just cheap or poor or neither or both? I just can’t bring myself to hundreds for stuff that’s broken, and I don’t care if it’s Pottery Barn- just not going to do it. Well, after an uneventful day at the outlets, I used my handy dandy iPhone and looked up the nearest Goodwill, and we went to visit. I found nothing great, but I am thrilled to say I did find a gorgeous turquoise/aqua colored vase for $2.00. This is the best pic I got of it for now, too lazy to retake it.

Crazy I got 1 vase for $2.00 in San Marcos versus 4 items in Beeville for $2.00. Granted, I know the ones here in town were half off, but I wonder if Goodwill prices are more expensive depending on the area? What do you think?

Anyway, can’t wait to put my items in the bedroom, but I think I need to find bedding first- particularly a duvet.

I’m sure you’ve seen my wedding dress photos in random posts here on my blog, but who doesn’t like seeing purdy dresses? I love purdy dresses!

I am joining Kelly from Kelly’s Korner for her Show Us Your Life- Wedding Dresses party!

I just got married on May 23rd, and it’s funny how now that I am married I have no use/love of The Knot anymore. It’s gone. Vanished. Now I am onto reading DIY blogs, The Nest, and cooking blogs. Weird. However, my wedding was a labor of love. So was fitting into my damn dress!!

I ordered my dress in October 2008. When I received it on Christmas Eve 2008, I immediately tried it on. Then I contemplated giving myself liposuction because it did NOT fit. At all. Not close. Now, technically I knew this would happen because I ordered it 2 sizes too small. What the hell was I thinking?! I was thinking it’d force me to lose weight.

It did.

It also forced me to be a completely crazy woman. My poor then-fiance. I weighed every morsel of food, Walked Away the Pounds everysingleday (5+ miles on average), and I’d look at my body and cry. Why did I knowingly put myself through that? I don’t recommend that to anyone. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited that I obviously lost the weight and fit into my dress, but it was super stressful.

And now I’ve gained 8 pounds back. Curses! Curses! I have to lose these 8 pounds by August 30th because we’re doing a fun hubby/wifey session with Old World Studios since my wedding pics kind of suck. What do you mean, you ask? Well, I use this analogy- you know when you’re at a bar and you see a really hot guy/girl, but then you get closer and they’re so NOT hot. It’s like that. On the screen my photos look pretty, but once you print them they’re a grainy, blurry hot mess. <insert sobfest>

But, nothing I can do about it now, obviously. I am SO thankful that Old World Studios is doing a fun session with us though, beyond grateful and excited.

Now, onto the dress!

 

Great for spinning in the middle of the Market Square in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Awww. Aren’t I gorgeous? Say yes. Thanks.

Me + Margarita - Rain= Happy Bride

We went to get margaritas like rightafter the ceremony. It’s a Patron margarita in case you’re wondering.

Here she is!! My nightmare dream dress.

 

Someone calling me to tell me that A.) It’s raining and B.) The highway to the church is at a standstill thanks to an accident.

The back of my dress.

My $5 Payless shoes. I puffy heart you $5 Payless shoes.

I never did get to let my train out, but I promise you I am doing that on August 30th. The train is gorgeous.

Details: The dress is an Alfred Angelo, Style #1151. Retails for $799, I paid $400ish by going with Chrissy O’s (an internet retailer who sells dresses for SUPER cheap).

Hope you enjoyed looking at my pretty dress!

Remember the pink ottoman I blogged about?

You can buy it HERE. $19.00, plus free site to store shipping= Great deal!

And I do agree with the one review on that page that says it’s more fuchsia than hot pink, but I love it anyway. Buy it NOW, this stuff sells out fast at Walmart’s website.

Seriously, all of you are amazing. I have been thinking about what to write the past few days because I’ve been reading so many blogs, and I just feel grateful to have a few who read mine. My blog is rather boring compared to people like Lindsay, Sarah, and Kate who can all actually DO stuff to their homes. They’re like the Spice Girls of home decor. Fun, sassy, and all about girl power.

But, I talk about what I’d like to do one day,and overall my decor projects are pretty ho-hum since I can’t do anything drastic. Damn you, apartment living.

The other day while thinking about my non-exciting decor ideas, I had an idea, but then I realized it’s rather stupid. Living in an apartment means no paint, no excessive holes in the wall, no custom flooring, yada yada. I, however, have always loved crown moulding. Always. It adds a sense of formality to the room, and I don’t think it’s too traditional/dated. I thought about finding a way to put up crown moulding in the living room/dining room/bedroom that was easy to remove when we move out in 2 years. That’s dumb, I know. Here was my grandioso idea:

Yes, tape. Hey the package says “Faster, safer, more versatile than screws and nails”. And as I say this, I can totally imagine a big chunk of crown moulding falling on my head as I sleep. Lovely. And for the record, I was 100% sober when this idea popped into my head. <bows head in shame>

So, I can’t do anything cool or drastic, but I am determined to make the apartment nicer for the next 2 years.

What’s the point of this post? The point is to thank the amazing ladies/bloggers out there who share all of their DIY projects with people like me who sit at their desk and dream of one day being able to do the same. I come upon new blogs all the time, but I am seriously in love with this one: A Brooklyn Limestone. Her blog is simply fabulous, and I love her home! Gorgeous.

From the bottom of my envious little heart, thanks.

And while I have resigned to knowing that my tape idea for crown moulding will NOT work, I did think of something to do with my idea on a smaller scale. Stay tuned!

On Twitter. I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, and I love it.

http://www.twitter.com/monicabenavidez

And just because I refuse to have picture-less posts, here is a random picture.

Disney, how I miss thee.

No, I didn’t walk through a screen door and need to buy a new screen. That’d be funny though, wouldn’t it? Quick story- one of the ways my mom figured out I needed glasses when I was 2 was that I’d walk into doors, TVs, people, anything really. So, I’ve been wearing glasses for 22 years now.

Anyway, you know the term window shopping? Well forget that outdated tradition, I screen shop via my computer screen. Screen shopping is the new black, you heard it here first everyone. Contain your excitement, please.

Everyday I look at websites to gather inspiration, but I also look at websites to see if I can find something cheap enough to buy so I don’t have to wake-up at 7:00 am on my day off to get ready for 8:00 am garage sales to find something. (longest run-on sentence ever…my poor English professors)

I’d much rather sleep in til 9 and buy something on Overstock.com

My daily ritual is something like this: log onto computer, read my billion Google Reader feeds, star a bunch to blatantly copy use as inspiration later, and then the screen shopping begins. My usuals are Overstock.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, CB2.com, Amazon.com, and a few others, but these are the main ones. Stuff is constantly being added, put on clearance, etc. so I try to keep up with stuff on those sites. Websites I visit maybe once a week or so are Anthropologie.com, UrbanOutfitters.com, BallardDesigns.com, and JCPenney.com

Last night I came upon a website that nearly caused me a coronary.

http://www.homedecoratorsoutlet.com

Holy poop, the stuff is INEXPENSIVE. SUPER. *swoon*

I am hooked.

Here are 3 of my faves:

Black bookshelf, 48” Wide, $104.99 plus shipping

Half-Moon Sink Cabinet, $254.99 plus shipping

Samantha Floor Lamp, $229.99 plus shipping 

If I could have ANY of the above, I’d pick the Samantha Floor Lamp for sure. I love it. I’d give a kidney for it. It would be PERFECT for our bedroom. I want it!

What are you hooked on lately? See what everyone else is hooked on over at Hooked On Houses.

A free 16x20 rolled canvas print sponsored by OnlinePosterPrinting.com

That’s us in front of one of the 19 Smithsonians in DC on a hot, summer day. Awww.

About Online Poster Printing
Online Poster Printing specializes in printing high-quality posters using premium materials. We offer a money back guarantee on all our products, such as photo canvas prints, vinyl banners, wall stickers, and rolled or mounted poster prints.

So, do YOU want a free 16x20 canvas poster of YOUR favorite summer photo?

Then here’s how to enter to win:

1.) Leave a comment on this post describing what summer photo you would have printed.

2.) Become a follower to get a bonus entry! All of you who are already followers automatically get the bonus entry if you leave a comment. Sweet!

3.) Post about my giveaway on YOUR blog and link to THIS page. Please leave me a comment with your blog link so I can verify.

Winner will be chosen by random.org on July 25, 2009 at noon.

The fine print: Giveaway is open to US/CAN residents. Shipping of prizes is not included and must be paid by winner. Online Poster Printing reserves the right not to print obscene or offensive materials.

That’s about it! I’m so excited to be able to do a giveaway. :o)

I think I should start a lunchtime adventures series, but as soon as I do that I’ll probably not be able to go anymore, so I’ll drop that idea. My co-worker/friend canceled our lunch date (again…no, not annoyed…yeah, I am) soooo…I didn’t feel like driving home. I decided to check out the new/recently re-opened Full Circle Antiques (FCA) shop here in Beeville. Living in a small town sucks on most days, but then on other days it is a huge blessing because I can go to USPS, FCA, a random resale shop, and Subway all in 1-hour. JOY!

The last time I went to FCA was probably over a year ago when it was still managed by an old lady and her cat. Wait, actually I think it was ran by the cat because all the signs were in reference to, you guessed it, the cat. “Don’t touch the cat!” or “Don’t pet the cat!” and even “If the cat doesn’t like you we reserve the right to refuse service.”

Alright. Seeing as how I am allergic to cats, I remember smiling and leaving. Heaven forbid the cat deemed my allergic issues unacceptable and like scratched my ankles or something like that. Safety first. Always.

Recently though, it’s under new management.

Yup, you can make an appointment to get your house cleaned all while looking at antiques. Makes sense, plus you know the store has gotta be clean! Below is the upstairs portion- lots of interesting stuff.

This pitcher and bowl was only $9.99 for the set.

Lots of old books. The flea market decorating had lots of great photos, and it didn’t look too old. It was $8, and I found it at Half.com in case you’re interested. It’s from 2000.

Tealight chandelier- $35.00

I absolutely LOVE this lamp. LOVE! It was half off, so the price was $30.00. I almost bought it right then and there. The shade is huge, and I have visions of trimming it in other colors to make it match our living room. I don’t think Daniel would like it at all though. Probably not. I also would definitely restain/spray paint the wood- maybe black or espresso?

Jergens lotion milk glass bottle. I think it was $10 and it has to be old, right?

White chandelier- $25.00

No clue what this is, but I like it.

This frame/picture was only $25. The picture itself is fugly, but I want the frame itself for a project like the one seen here. It is the perfect shape, but I think the $25 is a bit steep, and the owner was not budging. Oh well. It’s not meant to be!

I puffy heart this beveled mirror below. I think it was $60? Pretty sure. I would love this above our sofa in the living room. It would give off extra light and create an airy feeling. I wonder if I could DIY something like this…? If I bought it with my Etsy money, I would most definitely paint the trim/frame a different color. Probably a deep brown or maybe black.

 

That’s about all I saw at FCA that caught my eye. Then I went over to a resale shop right down the road. Nothing too amazing there, but I did see a few items. A set of white canisters- they say Flour, Sugar, and Tea. The set was $20. I may have bought them if the cover wasn’t made of wood.

And jute covered ANYTHING seems to be popular right now, and while these vases are NOT jute, they remind me of the overall look.

Both of the stores I visited said they get new items daily (wowee!), so I will definitely stop by again sometime! I didn’t buy anything today, I was good. Both places had unique items, but some were way overpriced and others just didn’t quite fit into my decor ideas.

I was browsing Craigslist this morning (the San Antonio area), and I found so much stuff! I seriously would buy it all if I had somewhere to store it.

The best find was this:

Which I would paint to look like this:

Or even like this (squee…I love it!):

Picture from Life in the Fun Lane.

Notice how similar they are?

Or I also found a lovely desk:

Which could be made over to be an accent piece, kind of like this desk:

And finally, I saw this coffee table:

Which would be great painted white:

Above picture from the fabulous blog Life in the Fun Lane.

Do you browse through Craigslist often?

So, my office is done, minus a few little projects here and there. To finish- add new eBay knobs to printer stand, paint accent table, and vacuum/dust on a regular basis since everything is dark and shows dust. Fabulous. I also must refrain from looking at any desks because I love a pretty desk and would get a new one monthly if I could. *sigh*

But now I get to move onto the other rooms of our apartment, and I was thinking of moving onto our bedroom next. I think the living room has to be last simply because that’s where I toss place items as I am rearranging rooms. No use in getting it all dolled up only to put random junk in there. I set a pretty hefty budget for my office ($500, yes, that is a lot to me!), but for the other rooms I need to seriously tone it down. Majorly. I’m going to use the furniture we have, and I just really need to get creative with accessories.

However, do you remember when you were young and you made palaces out of bed sheets and primped yourself up with mom’s lipstick and high heels? I want to do that today only without the cheap lipstick and bed sheet palaces. I already have high heels on, so we’re good there.

If I could create my dream bedroom for our apartment, here’s a peek at what it would look like:

Bed, $909; chair, $249; chandelier, $250.20; bedding, from $58.50; rug, from $50; mirror, $325; vase, $21.60; dog pillow, $40.00 (all pictures/products from BedroomFurniture.com)

Nice, huh? While I can’t buy all those items (even though most are a decent price), I can still use this as my inspiration, and I plan to. Right now our bedroom is um, damask, gray, tan, red, black, and white. It’s a hot mess. Ok, it’s just a mess. I want to turn it into a gray/blue/white/tan sanctuary. For only $250.00

And here we go…operation bedroom makeover is on! Here’s the bedroom set we currently have in case you want to send any ideas my way. That is totally NOT our bedroom though, and due to the size of our tiny apartment, we only have the dresser, mirror, and bed.

Picture credit: Roomstore.com

What current room/project are you working on?

I have been holding off painting my table because of the free paint I ordered from the Glidden website. It came in today, and they sent me the wrong color.

I ordered a turquoise color, and they sent me red. I called customer service, and they said sorry, that’s what I am stuck with.

Off to Wal-Mart I go to get the paint color I do want.

Oy.

I hope the other people who ordered the free quart of paint got the right color!

I’ve added a few things to the blog in an effort to make things a bit easier to share/subscribe/e-mail.

First we have the new share button at the bottom of all posts- Share away my friends!

 

And we also have my new button that you can grab/add to use on your blog/website/car/etc. (Okay, car may be pushing it, your home front window might be better actually).

You can easily follow via Google or you can subscribe via e-mail.

And to add the final touch, I created a new header and a new background. I love the new look. Hope you find these features useful, and if you think of a feature you’d like to see on my blog to make your life/reading/viewing easier, please e-mail me at Monica20039@gmail.com

Coming up soon…giveaways! Wahoo!