The List - April

You guys! IT'S APRIL!  April is my favorite month for lots of reasons! My birthday is in April, my wedding anniversary (5 years!) is in April, my favorite flowers (tulips) bloom in April....I mean, come on.  Oh, and I'm going on a trip soon....can't wait!!

So anyway, I'm linking up again with Erika and Beth for The List!


I usually start these lists with some exercise goals for the month.  Let me just toot my own horn for a minute. During the 31 days of March, I worked out 32 times! Can I get a hell yeah?!

I've been doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and am really seeing and feeling results. I'm definitely stronger.  I will be continuing this.  I don't do it every day, because I've also been running, biking and doing other classes, but I do it at least 4 times a week.

Since I'll be on vacation for part of the month, I will do my best to keep my strength and cardio fitness up, but I'm sure there will be a bit of a decline when I get back.  No biggie, though. 

Oh, and tomorrow is The Color Run.  Wish me luck for my first 5K!

I tried a new felting technique last month.  These are my first two felt paintings.  I really, really like them, so expect some more.

Some products I'm loving right now:

From left to right:

--The Guv'ner by Lush.  We picked this up in Ireland last year. (I visit Lush when we go to Europe, because there aren't any too close to my home...) Apparently, this is supposed to be for boys.  My husband uses it too.  It's a powder, and not an anti-perspirant, which is something to get used to.  But the scent is very herbal, and not overpowering.

--No Drought by Lush: This is my first and only experience with dry shampoo.  I never thought I could be one of those girls who could skip a day of washing their hair.  But turns out, I just had to train my hair and scalp.  It probably took about six weeks of not washing my hair on the weekends and wearing dirty hair in a ponytail, but it was worth it! I LOVE my second day hair! And I love this herbal scented dry shampoo!

--Argan Hair Oil: I've been using hair oil for a while, but recently switched to this brand, and I'm loving it so far.

--Mineral Fusion makeup. I also recently switched most of my everyday makeup to this brand.  The coverage of the concealer and pressed powder foundation is decent without being heavy.  And I'm really impressed with how the nailpolish wears.  Usually I have a chip within 12 hours, but I can wear this for a few days without issues. And that coral!

Oh, I think that's enough rambling for now.  Come link up with us!

Fur, Feathers & Scales : Chinchilla

I've got a huge amount of cuteness for you today!  It's time for a furry installment of this Fur, Feathers & Scales series.  Meet Cashew the Chinchilla!

Chinchillas are small rodents (yes, like mice and rats) that come from South America.  They live in mountainous regions in Chile in the higher elevations among little crevices and caves in the rocks.

They eat vegetation like leaves and seeds, but will opportunistically eat an insect or two.  As a rodent, they have front incisors that are always growing.  Chinchillas keep them filed down by chewing on harder items like seeds, woody plants, etc. 

They are nocturnal, so they have big ears and eyes to help them navigate the darkness and incredibly long whiskers!

Chinchilla fur is incredibly thick and soft.  Instead of using water for bathing, chinchillas will roll around in dust to keep away bugs and moisture. In the wild, Chinchillas are legally protected because their populations are low due to people trapping and killing them for their fur.

Chinchillas are very quick.  This little guy was hilarious to photograph.  For every good shot, I took quite a few "motion" shots like these:

Have you ever "met" a chinchilla before?

Felted Ball Garland DIY

Hello!  Today I'm over visiting Heather at Just Lovely Things sharing a needle felting DIY.  Hop on over and learn how to make a Needle Felted Ball Garland!

Enjoy!

52 Weeks of Felting : Week 13

Happy Saturday, folks! I finished another felt painting for week 13...

 

I really wanted to try out some new orange wool batts that I got recently, so I thought an orange hot air balloon against a pretty blue sky would work perfectly. Like last week's project, this one won't be available in the shop just yet, and it will be one-of-a-kind.

I'm really enjoying these flat pieces. and now I'm really itching to try wet felting. What other subjects would you like to see as felt paintings?