The Paleo Lifestyle

Now that I have been married for almost a year and a half, I am realizing that I have relaxed my work outs and eating habits quite a bit. The pantry is no longer stocked with only the items I like, but also the slew of carbs and sweets which my husband eats on a regular basis. My inability to resist the chips, pizza, and desserts that I had previously not kept around the house have greatly contributed to the unhealthy funk I have found myself in. Living with my husband and having someone to come home tocut out my after work gym routine in favor of coming home to see him and make dinner. So I decided like any married 20-something with the imminent threat of having a child in the near future leaving my body to never be the same, that I have to do something. I have probably gone through all the diet and work out fabs that exist but my problem has always been staying committed to something long enough for it to really work. Something that is too restrictive is impossible for me to stick to for any length of time, so I decided to build myself up for the Paleo diet.

I started off just trying to cut out  processed carbs for two weeks and while the first few days were alright, about 5 or 6 days in I was really dragging. Crisis dragging, I missed my rolls, my garlic bread, getting to have the bread basket at restaurants with my husband and most importantly and probably sadly my Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies. But I got through it.

After successfully making it through two weeks without processed carbs, with only one cheat because of a friends birthday, I promptly celebrated with some crab rangoon, general tso’s chicken and some pizza, and it tasted awesome. I knew I could do two weeks with no carbs, and I wanted to take it farther. I felt awesome without all the carbs weighting me down, I lost weight, I was working out, and I was seeing results. Now the real questions becomes, how long could I keep up Paleo? For those two weeks my snacks and carb cravings were curbed by dairy products for those 2 weeks. But on Paleo, there is no dairy allowed.

I have decided to take it on anyway, and hopefully work in a fewsmall carb or cheese items on a rare basis to curb cravings, reward myself and to likely keep myself sane. I will keep you guys updated on my progress and let you know if I find any fun worthwhile recipes! Wish me luck and let me know if you have any resources or suggestions to help me along the way. 

Summer Wedding Wear

Weddings these days have  a variety of  unique locations and trendy themes. More weddings are moving outside and the humid summer weather prevents women from doning longer dress options or even certain materials that may be prone to showing sweat. Below are some of my favorite summer wedding outdoor looks!

Woodford Reserve Barrel Head

After getting married and moving in together, my preferred decorating style has definitely become more of a compromise. Flowers and bright colors are not as accepted, and I am constantly looking to meld our ideas into something we can both tolerate. This compromise has caused me to get rid of many decorative platters or bowls that my husband sees as “clutter,” and I have relegated his mounted deer head to the bedroom so it is not seen in public spaces. I am hoping that after we get out of our condo next year, and into a house with more space there will be more room for negotiation and segregation of our styles. Here’s hoping!

One compromise I am super excited about is my barrel head project. My husband’s favorite bourbon is Woodford Reserve and I came up with the unique idea of finding a barrel head to use in our decorating scheme for a more rustic look. Cue: Barrel Head Hunting – Where in the world can you get your hands on an authentic Woodford Reserve Barrel head in Virginia?

I finally found one from an Etsy lister who sold them individually or as platters with a handle. KyBarrel sells the barrel heads for only $59, which is a great price to begin my do it yourself project. This seller also has other monogrammed and personalized barrel heads to fit your style if Woodford Reserve is not for you. Make sure you check them out, I am quite pleased with my purchase!

It is going to be a work in progress but I have decided to turn the barrel head into a unique sidetable for our living room. I am going to reinforce the bottom with a cut pieced of wood, and am still trying to find a unique bottom that will support the heavy and wide barrel head, while simultaneously having a rustic modern look. The look I am going for is something I finally found in the Wine Enthusiast Catalog (pictured to the left). This table retails on their site for $229 and I am hoping I can pull off the project for less! Check back for updates, I am hoping to find a neat antiue bottom in my antique store hunting.

Are you doing any projects or have any outlets/stores where you can find some unqiue antique side tables? Let me know!