Happy 2015, Everyone!

My homemade Black & White cookies (yum)

Helloooooooooooooooooooooo everyone!  I hope you are all doing well and are keeping warm and healthy.  The flu is going around (ack!) so I'm washing my hands like crazy hoping to avoid the germs.  Back in the day, my 11th grade high school history teacher was a germaphobe (is that a real word?) and used to spray all of our tests and homework assignments with Lysol, always wore gloves inside, and made any sick kids sit in the back of the room.  We all used to make fun of her but I don't anymore.  LOL

So, in the past two years I've gained about 25 pounds ~ can you believe that?!  I went from a size 6 to a 12.  *sigh*  Of course, it doesn't help when I bake yummy cookies and snack all year long.  I've been back on Weight Watchers for the past twelve months but have only gained weight.  So, not sticking to my point allowance, obviously.  I'm sick of not fitting into my pants and boots and just, in general, being irritated with my appearance.  So, I signed up for the Whole Life Challenge which will help me kick start my goal of losing 2 pounds per week.  I start January 17th.  A shout out to the blogger from Attempts at Domestication for mentioning this program or else I'd never have heard about it.  I'm excited!  What's even better is a friend of mine joined with me.  I think I'll have more success with a buddy.

Since I last blogged, my husband and I were able to finally paint and decorate our dining room.  Thank goodness!  We painted the ceiling, chair rail, and trim bright white.  The top 2/3 of the wall is Behr Manhattan Mist gray and the bottom third of the wall is Behr Dark Pewter gray.  Looks great with our marble tile floor.  Target had great curtains and J.C. Penney had a faux Mercury glass curtain rod that is perfect.  Here's a photo.  Ignore the beige line above the chair rail.  We touched that up after this photo was taken...

Besides losing weight, my goals for 2015 include painting and renovating the half bath on the main level and our kitchen.  We may wait to do the kitchen next year but a trip to IKEA this spring will help make that decision for us.

I am back in school for a second master's degree.  This time around, I'm working towards a master's in library science.  So far, two classes completed and I'm loving it!  Takes up a lot of my time, though.  Plus, tuition is expensive.  I think in the long run it will be worth the investment.

A good buddy of mine just told me she's going to Iceland on vacation in February.  How exciting!!  She'll go dog sledding, try out the hot springs, go horseback riding, and visit a black sand beach,  glaciers, waterfalls, and geysers!  That's something truly fabulous to look forward to.  Makes me dream of taking a vacation sometime soon!

Hope your week goes well ~