Erica Burns Designs

2010-10-10T09:09:00.001-04:00

The Burgundy & Gold!

2009-10-07T08:53:00.001-04:00

My little bumble bees

I found Lola & Bella's Halloween costumes at Old Navy!

2009-09-27T16:25:00.002-04:00

The life of a dog! My sweet Lola!

Trunkt!

2009-07-03T16:46:00.001-04:00

I am excited to have my profile on Trunkt! Here is a little peek...

Enjoy!

New in my Etsy Shop!

2009-07-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

Let Them Eat Cake Tea Towel
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

Let Them Eat Cake Tea Towel! This is a little gem I screen printed with my Yudu screen printer. Only $14 in my little shop!

http://ericaburnsdesigns.etsy.com

Please join Trunkt & follow me!

2009-06-22T21:59:00.004-04:00

Trunkt is a lovely place for independent artisans to create their own online look books.

Art Fire

2009-06-18T23:10:00.001-04:00

So I have my website, Etsy & I am trying this out. Art Fire! Have you heard of it?
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=view_product

Shared via AddThis

He did it!

2009-05-22T13:50:00.004-04:00

He did it!
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

My husband Troy graduated from Frederick Community College yesterday! I am still on cloud 9. I couldn't be prouder of him. This is his mother hugging him. She was so very proud. She said that she never thought she'd see the day. This was her child that she would drop off at the front door & he'd leave out the back door of the school. He never finished high school, but got his GED (good enough diploma, haha). He also went to drafting school & completed that, but has long dreamed of getting his college degree. Well, the day has finally come! He received his AA in General Studies & will be on his way to his BA in Construction Management starting this summer. After starting & quitting college for years, at 39 years old he did it! Way to go baby!

Denim After Dark Event- May 2009

2009-05-05T18:43:00.001-04:00

Denim After Dark Event- May 2009
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

I will be back at Madewell Jeans in Tyson's Corner, VA this Thursday May 5th hand embroidering denim. It was so much fun last time. Come by if you are in the area & say hi & get some really cute jeans!

Spring is in the air!

2009-04-06T17:11:00.003-04:00

Sunday was so beautiful here in Maryland!

My husband Troy & I went to Baker Park for a relaxing picnic.

I packed quite a variety including crackers with cheddar cheese & apples, hummus with french bread, sushi, boneless chicken wings and fruit.

We sat out there for several hours just noshing, napping & people watching. After a few several hours we took a walk & saw lots of great houses & churches in downtown Frederick, MD.

We made our way over to Ben & Jerry's and had a scoop of coffee coffee buzz buzz buzz. Yum!

What a beautiful day!

Twitter

2009-03-31T15:27:00.002-04:00

Is anyone out there on Twitter? I joined a few weeks ago. It is pretty simple, like a little mini blog. Check mine out here

Etsy Favorites

2009-03-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
ericaburnsdesigns.etsy.com

I'd love to have any of these things!

Etsy Shop

2009-03-24T19:40:00.004-04:00

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
ericaburnsdesigns.etsy.com

A few of my Etsy shop items! New Spring/ Summer line out soon!

Madewell Hand Embroidery Event

2009-03-09T21:53:00.002-04:00

So the event at Madewell went really well. All of the ladies that work there are so nice & cute! What a fun store! I only had to do one pair this time, but it was a LONG one. See them here:

I hear that they do this Denim After Dark event a few times a year, so maybe I can go back! It is such handmade fun!

Me & Shayne of DC Craft Mafia Taggin' Denim

2009-02-26T13:37:00.001-05:00

Erica of Erica Burns Designs & Shayne of Novelty Kitten, both DC Craft Mafia members, will be taking part in Denim After Dark with Madewell 1937. Madewell is hip collection of women's clothing from the same people that bring us J Crew. I will be at the Tyson's Corner Madewell store from 7-9PM & Shayne will be at the Annapolis store from 7-9PM. All of this takes place on Thursday, March 5th so come out & let us tag your initials on your jeans! Sweet!

It's cold...& snowy!

2009-01-27T14:22:00.003-05:00

The cold, snowy weather makes me want to knit! Maybe it is just me, but there is so comforting about sitting in my warm house watching the snow while I knit up something warm! Currently, I am working on a bunch of knitted projects to sell at Crafts & Kisses. Moira from Bookish Lady put this show on last year & it was awesome! She is doing it again in 2009 on February 8 from 11-7 at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 Fifteenth Street, NW Washington, DC.

photo from Crafts & Kisses Blog

Been awhile, a long while!

2009-01-26T00:34:00.002-05:00

I see my last post was back in September! That is just plan pitiful! I will try to do much much better. I have a lot to say. I suppose I should take the time to say it, here. Well, an update. The Redskins blew the rest of the season. They went 8-8. Didn't make the playoffs. They really blew it. The Super Bowl is next Sunday. I love football, so I am excited about it. Steelers vs. Cardinals. Who would have thought the Cardinals would have been in the Super Bowl this year? I think the Steelers are the better team, but you never know what may happen. Last year the Giants beat the undefeated Patriots. The one Redskins game I went to this year was vs. the Cardinals & we actually won! Well it is late. I have 6 hours of sleep if I go to bed now. So nighty night!

How about that!

2008-09-28T23:30:00.001-04:00

365 Day 65
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

In case you didn't know, I am a huge Redskins fan. If you know anything about the NFL you know that the Cowboys & Redskins is one of the nastiest rivalries in the NFL. Well, today the Redskins went to Dallas....& BEAT THE MESS OUT OF THEM!!!! We were 11 point underdogs according to Vegas. Well I guess we showed them! HA! Go Redskins!

All ready to go!

2008-09-15T13:17:00.001-04:00

All ready to go!
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

We have been going through a lot a work lately. Our Assistant Director lef tin July for a higher position at our central office. Then our program manager retired a few weeks ago. We have had several staff resign & transfer to different counties. Now we are down to a skelton crew, but we are going to be fine! This was our little effor to show our appreciation. I decorated these boxes & made little tags for each worker out of shrinky dink paper. It was quite a labor of love, but so fun! We stuffed each box with little candies & voila, at cute little gift for each & every worker! How sweet, no pun intended!

A Pole New You

2008-09-10T11:11:00.001-04:00

Always photo ready!
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

I have been having so much fun these past few months taking pole dacing classes from A Pole New You in Urbana, Maryland. Tammy Frazier is the instructor & she is so AWSOME! First of all, all of the students have a love hate relationship with her because she makes everything look so effortless & easy!!! When we try it often times we look a hot mess! But after plenty of encouragement & practice we look half way decent! Not as sexy as Tammy, but we are getting there! A Pole New You is the cutest little pole dancing studio! The bathroom alone is to die for! With a huge picture of Marilyn Monroe & pink stripes as far as the eye can see, what's not to love? They also offer private sessions, private parties & in home parties. I want a pole (yes, they sell poles too) for my house. Actually, it is at the top of my Christmas list! Can't you see the look on my neighbors face when they walk by & see me flying around a pole right in my living room!?

How I spent my Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T16:30:00.005-04:00

A coffe & chocolate story
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

It started out on Friday. My husband, Troy & I went antiquing. It was a very cool & rainy day. We stopped at the Candy Kitchen on Market Street to get a couple of chocolates, then we went to Starbucks for a coffee. We had a great day of antiquing, having lunch, coffee & then happy hour all in downtown Frederick. Saturday morning we had to get up extremely early for our son's football game.

After the game Troy had to work. I spent some time online. Posted a few things over on Etsy, yada, yada.

Sunday I had a meeting with my group the DC Craft Mafia in Bethesda.

Troy's family was having a cookout that day too. Troy had to work, but I took the kids anyway.

I caught up with everyone & saw how big all the kids are getting.

Monday we hung around the pool at my parents house most of the day. That was very relaxing and fun, fun, fun!!!

All in all it was a relaxing & non-laborous labor day!

Tag, your it!!

2008-08-30T16:11:00.003-04:00

Shayne of Novelty Kitten & Trans-craft-inental tagged me.

The Rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks you possess.
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they have been tagged.

Six Unspectacular Quirks I Possess
1. I can crack my toes repeatedly.
2. I have a very pronounced dimple in my left check and only a tiny speck of a dimple in the right cheek.
3. I pretend that I can understand my two Shih Tzu & I translate what they say, but it is always with a Chinese accent because the breed is from Tibet. I guess that is not very politically correct, huh?
4. In college my friends & I were addicted to playing Scrabble & the card game Speed. We spent many a late night doing both. I know, how exciting for college life.
5. I get obsessed with anything with mint & chocolate about once every 6 months. The rest of the year I almost can't stand the combination at all.
6. I am extremely ticklish under my arms but my feet are not ticklish at all.

I Tag:
Nicole
Amy
Seven
Danielle
Courtney
Sherry & John

Craft Project- Shabby to Chic

2008-08-26T13:07:00.003-04:00

Owl
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

I found this old rusty cart at work when we were doing a little cleaning. I thought about taking it the first day but I forgot about it. The cleaning crew left it behind that night, so I thought it must be a sign that it is meant for to take it & love it! You can see the before here:

EWWW!!! It was a rusty mess!

After a little help from my son EJ painting & treating the rust spots

I decoupaged some pretty paper on the tops. I also added a few cute little details like this lucite kissing bird.

Now I have a chic little cart that I have added some zines & trinkets to add a little cheer to my living room. Plus the dogs like to look at it!

Walk to Work

2008-08-13T13:20:00.002-04:00

flower
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

These are a few things I saw on my way to work this morning....

A pretty pink flower.

A water tower with my hometown proudly displayed.

A cat peering out a window.

And a fabulous antique shop.

This is small town living at its finest!
: )

Fun Flickr Game

2008-08-11T11:21:00.005-04:00

I got this idea from my friends over at Trans-craft-inental. I thought it would be fun! So here are the directions.
Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
Using only the first page, pick an image. (You can arrange by "Most relevant," "Most recent," or "Most interesting.")
Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Labs mosaic maker. ENJOY!
The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Erica
2. What is your favorite food? Risotto
3. What high school did you go to? Walkersville High School
4. What is your favorite color? Red
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Lorenz Tate
6. Favorite drink? Martini (fruity ones)
7. Dream vacation? Paradise
8. Favorite dessert? Red Velvet Cake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Fashion/ Artist
10. What do you love most in life? Family
11. One Word to describe you? Moody
12. Your flickr name? ericaburnsdesigns

1. Madison and Erica - Bent, 2. Rerun Risotto, 3. George Bennett & Johnny Bennett, 4. `paint the town red., 5. Lorenz Tate, 6. Sunset, 7. Summer time!, 8. I ♥ YOU, 9. Fashion Show Ladies, 10. Duck Family Portrait, 11. Moody sky...over Eiffel Tower, 12. triplets.tealpearls.det

Pole Dancing...Part Deux!

2008-08-06T13:23:00.003-04:00

pink feather boa
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

I started part 2 of pole dancing class last night. It was really hard! A lot of swings this time. I pulled a muscle in my leg the day before, which made it even harder. Hopefully, I will be able to get it together next week. I think I might need to take part 2 at least one more time before I move on to the next level. I take classes at A Pole New You in Frederick, MD. It is an awesome studio dedicated strictly to exotic exercise. They have a chair class I'd really love to take as well. The pole classes are set up in a series. First is Conceptions I & II, then Shedding the Skin I & II, then Taking Flight I & II lastly Flying High!

A simple vegan dinner

2008-08-05T13:15:00.002-04:00

A simple vegan dinner
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

This is a simple dinner, but it takes a lot of preparing. I had to soak the black beans overnight, slow cook them all day with garlic, onions & spices then served them over brown rice (which takes 55 minutes to cook). Simple, yet time consuming! It sure is good though!

Tonight I start part 2 of pole dancing class! Whoo hoo!

365 Day 8

2008-08-04T08:49:00.003-04:00

365 Day 8
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

Over on Flickr I am doing a photo journal. I am doing a year's worth of photos. So far I am only up to day 10. Here is day 8's entry. I went to Starbucks with Troy to try their new smoothies. They are really good. I love a good smoothie! They are opening a Smoothie King in Frederick (where I live) soon too. I am excited about that! Troy turned this into a photoshoot! America's Next Top Smoothie Drinker!

Girls on the bottom

2008-08-01T15:56:00.004-04:00

Troy & I had a lunch date the other day. We walked around downtown Frederick, but never actually ate lunch. We played on this see saw for a bit though! It sure was a swell time.

We saw some beautiful sidewalk gardens. Here is me in one of them!

My afro is getting big, huh? Hehe!

Lovebirds

2008-07-27T20:40:00.003-04:00

Lovebirds
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

My husband, Troy, took me to a comedy show at Cafe 611 in Frederick, MD on Friday night. It was so fun! The feature act was Howard G. He was so funny! He even called Troy on stage to compete in his version of "The Dating Game." I have not laughed that hard in a long time! After this we went to IHOP & had dessert. It was a great date! We try to go on these dates a few times a month. Go to my flickr to see more date night pics & to see what else I have been up to lately!

Pole Dancing...for exercise???

2008-07-09T12:15:00.004-04:00

Me at my first pole dancing class!
Originally uploaded by ericaburnsdesigns

That's right! You've seen Oprah do it, you've heard about it. Well all the hype is right. This was the most fun I have had working out...maybe ever! I started a class at a pole dancing studio called A Pole New You located in my hometown, Frederick, MD. I had my first class last night with the co-owner, Tammy Frazier. She has training as an educator, dance instructor & cirriculum writer. The perfect combination to start a pole dancing studio! Tammy told us that she taught herself the techniques of pole dancing in a few months. She was great! I can't wait for session # 2! A Pole New You will be having a grand opening this Saturday the 12th. If you are any where near Frederick Maryland you should stop through!

One trick pony

2008-06-04T11:34:00.003-04:00

All I seem to blog about is my weight loss escapade. I feel like a one trick pony. Oh well! That is the most exciting thing going on in my life right now. I started March 9 & I am now down 21 pounds in 3 months! I can fit a lot of my skinny(er) clothes now. I am in a weird in between place though right now. I am not quite small enough for my really small clothes, but I am too small for my big girl clothes. I think another 10-15 pounds & I will be able to get into my small clothes. Until then I am going to need some in between things that can take me through the summer.

My exercise has been going really well. I am doing about 2-2.50 miles on the treadmill in interval training. I mix it up between a fast walk and a jog and also add in slower paced hills. I also have been doing the elliptical machine. I have done a few classes at my gym like body pump, which is weight lifting exercises. I tried awesome abs, which is just like it sounds, nothing but abs exercises. It was pretty killer! I also have been doing weight training on my own which is pretty good. I am posting a new pic of me here:

This is me and my friend Kim from this past weekend in Georgetown.

Still coming down...

2008-05-07T15:40:00.004-04:00

I currently down 17 pounds! Whoo hoo! That is my grand total so far from March 9th to May 4th. So in almost 2 months I am down 17 pounds. Not bad at all.

I have a lot more to say, but not much time to say it.

But later, for sure.

Losing It

2008-04-22T11:59:00.003-04:00

It's been a minute since I have posted. My bad! I got over my illness from a few weeks ago and got very busy at work. Other than work all I have really been doing is keeping my exercise up. I have done very well with that. I also have been REALLY changing my eating habits. I have been on a detox for the last week and a half which has worked wonders for the way I feel. I was off sugar, caffiene & all meat for the first 9 days. Now I can have caffiene (just a little) and meat. I did start drinking coffee again, but no meat. I am really enjoying the no meat thing. Not to say I'll never again eat anything that had a mother. I am sure I will, but very limited I think. I have been eating a lot of brown rice, beans, veggies, fruit and tofu. I know what you are thinking. Toufu?! Beans?! EWWWW! but I am kind of a weird eater anyway. I like tofu & beans. It is primarily a whole foods diet. I got this diet plan from Dr. Ian Smith's Fat Smash Diet book. It is easy to follow and sets you up for a lifetime of healthy eating. A lot of people at work are on Weight Watchers, which is great, but i am also more of a health food/ healthy lifestyle person rather than just a dieter. The people on Weight Watchers don't necessarily eat all that well. I think some people do what is being called the "Junk Food Diet." It is all about the artificial sweetner and 100 calorie pack. So, anyway I am down a total of 15 pounds! Whoo hoo! Uh huh! Whoo hoo! I have also been in the gym like 4-5 times per week so I am getting fit & toned too. I will be in my sexy clothes before too long!
Peace

I am sick

2008-04-09T18:52:00.004-04:00

I have been sick for the pass couple of days. I have missed work for a few days. I got a lot of rest yesterday and today and now I think I am all better. I may still be a little weak, but I think I can make it to work the rest week.

I have also missed the gym since Sunday, which sucks. I have been on a really good roll. I lost another 1.5 pounds for a total weight loss of 10 pounds in 4 weeks. I am super psyched about that! I also lost several inches off of my waist, hips and breast so far. I can fit several things I have not been able to get into for quite sometime. This makes me happy. Very happy!

When I get skinny...

2008-03-29T20:27:00.014-04:00

When I lose all the weight I want to lose (which will probably take many months) I am going to go on a major shopping spree. So far I have lost 8 pounds (in 3 weeks). More importantly I have lost a lot of inches in my waist, thighs and hips. Although the big shopping spree probably won't happen until next year or the end of this year I have been checking out some cute dresses, career wear, and other outfits. I've picked out a few to share with you here!

First for that special date night with the husband to Georgetown, or even Gallery Walk in my hometown, I could try this very cute, but expensive dress:

Or this more affordable piece with a pair of jeans:

Maybe with these shoes:

And this bag:

Maybe for a cocktail party I could go with this fun pink dress:

or this to really sex it up:

My husband is in school right now, but when he gets out and we can afford a really nice vacation again we want to go island hopping. I love both of these for a tropical vacation on the beach:

Swimwear:

Then I'd like to wear stuff like this for work:

Sleek and Professional:

Finally for the weekend I like to keep it relaxed but I have to show off my new toned body too!
Things like thisjacket or these tops from BLUE FLY would be nice:

Ok, that is my mini-fashion show for my future body!

Don't get me wrong though, until then I will wear my cute plus sized clothes. I am all about the wrapped dress and wide leg trousers for now, but I can just feel the sleek new clothes coming! I like a lot of the styles on this site. Here are a few of my favorites:

Walking around downtown Frederick

2008-03-25T09:35:00.007-04:00

It's been a while since I have blogged. I have wanted to, I just kept running out of time. I finally took some pictures of my walk during lunch. Actually, I eat at my desk around 12:30 or 1 then I go out between 2 & 2:30 for my walk. I usually walk 30 -40 min. I only get a 30 min. lunch so I really can't stay out too long. Yesterday I walked a few blocks. It is very relaxing & helps to break up the monotony of the work day in the same office staring at the same people. I like my co-workers a lot, but it helps to get out & take in some fresh air. When I first leave my office I pass the canal.
Although the little canal has been there forever they recently built the bridge and the little condos around it that sell for like 1 million dollars I think! Remember the antiquing I did a few weeks ago? Well this is the place I LOVE to spend my lunch hour just browsing around. I always find new & exciting finds here at Emporium Antiques.
Another block & I am at Chiffon. It is a really cute antique boutique. They have boutique prices on some things too. This dress form is cute, but I think I will wait & see if it goes on sale. Right now it is $45. Not a bad price, but not the bargain of the century either.
I also spotted this little store down the street in an alley! I will have to stop here some day soon.
After going down Carrol Street, turning onto Patrick I reach Market Street. That is "the main strip" of downtown Frederick. It is quite quaint with the variety of stores and restaurants. Then I turned up Church Street. I wonder why they call it that?! This is the Twin Steeples from one of many churches here on Church Street.
Finally I pass by this antique store called Great Stuff by Paul. I have been in here once & plan to go back! Really nice stuff here too.
Then I am back at my office! Isn't that a great walk? Full of temptations to stop & shop though!

Success!

2008-03-16T15:46:00.004-04:00

After one week of exercising almost daily & following (sort of) the weight watchers flex point system I lost 6.5 pounds in one week! I am really happy about that. The exercise has not even been too strenuous so far, but I plan to start stepping it up this week. But so far this pass week I have done a lot of walking. I have done the treadmill once, but mostly I have been enjoying the coming Spring weather & getting outside & walking. I did 40 minutes of brisk walking 2 days. The other days I walked during lunch around downtown Frederick, MD. I keep forgetting to take my camera so I can show you all (like anyone reads this) how pretty Frederick is. I promise pictures this week! For work I have to go to court once a week. It is about a 10 minute walk, so I walked this week rather than driving. These little changes seem to really be working for me. In addition to the exercising I have kind of started following weight watchers. I say kind of because I have not officially joined, but I am staying within my alloted points according to what I have read online. I also found this great tool called Daily Plate. I have created a free profile & this helps because I can actually see if I am getting proper nutrition rather than just counting calories, fat & fiber. You could technically eat a bunch of 100 calorie packs of junk food & chemical filled Lean Cuisines & stay within your limits, but I believe in eating real food like brown rice, fish, & oatmeal. Now I only have 75.5 pounds to reach my goal weight! That is still a lot, but I am hopeful that I can get there eventually. Slow & steady. This week my goal will be to lose 4.5 pounds. I know that is a lot, but the first few weeks you can usually lose more before you slow down to 1-2 pounds per week. I hope to be down to my goal by next Feb. Well, I'm going to go get in a good workout at the gym today. Come home & cook something good, relax & enjoy the rest of my weekend.

Long Walk

2008-03-11T22:03:00.004-04:00

I took a long walk today at my son's baseball practice. He practices at this huge park called Heritage Farm Park in the town of Walkersville. The park is huge & they have a really nice walking path. I took my 11 year old niece Bryana with me. She did nothing but complain the entire time. She kept asking me to slow down, to take a break, take a short cut. She is very overweight for her age/ height, so I really wanted to try to help her get her weight down. Lola & Bella went too. They loved it! They sniffed & peed & sniffed some more. We walked for a total of 40 minutes (actually Bre finally took a short cut so she probably got in 30 min). Before I dropped Bre off she asked when were going to walk again! Maybe she will get used to it & start to like to exercise after all.

As I was walking I thought how lovely some of the scenere would be for my blog. Next time, pictures! I promise!

I feel pretty good right now! I think I am going to go crash now & get some ZZZZ's.

Something to weigh in on...

2008-03-10T14:03:00.003-04:00

I am currently in the process of trying to knock off some weight. I have been thinking about it for awhile, but sometimes it can be such a daunting task. That I hate to even think about all of the work that it takes to lose weight. Back in 2003 I successfully lost about 40 pounds. I felt great & looked great. I lost the weight by getting a personal trainer (very expensive) and eating very well. I only kept the trainer for about 3 months to get on track & then I was fine. Exercise was a habit. Something I just felt that I had to do to feel good. I actually started to enjoy it. I would run into the same people at the gym & you start to kind of root each other on after awhile. I was able to maintain this weight loss give or take 5-10 pounds for 2 years. Then in 2005 I tripped down some stairs and sprained my ankle really bad. I had to wear a "boot" (air cast) for like 6 months. Well, that really put a monkey wrench in my work out plan! So for the past 3 years I have been steadily increasing my weight to gain back all of the 40 pounds plus another 10 for good measure! Dammit! I keep thinking about how much work that was to lose that weight. Now I have to start all over plus an extra 10. Actually the 40 did not even put me at my goal weight so in total I really need to lose like 82 pounds to get to my goal! That is like a whole person! I am actually embarrassed to put that number in black in white for the world to see, but it is what it is.

There are a lot of people at work that are on weight watchers. That is kind of helpful since you have people who are constantly counting up the point value of everything. I don't think I can be a card carrying member of weight watchers, but I do like the idea of a lifestyle that does not require me to give up bread and eat only meat. Or a diet that requires me to give up all sweets forever. So for the past few days I have sort of used the point system to control my eating for the day. The first few days I was going way over what I should have for the day. But I looked at a few great websites that help you see the points values for various foods like this one. There are also sites like this one that tell you all about the system.

In addition, I have a gym membership ( I've had it for almost a year actually ) at Fitness First that I started using again yesterday. I put in about 30 min. on the elliptical trainer for starters. I also plan to go walk around at lunch when I can & maybe walk in the evenings or go to the gym some evenings. I used to lift when I had my trainer so I will also be getting back into that too. My trainer did a great job of teaching me what to do so I know what to do . I just need to get off of my big ass & do it! Speaking of which I need to go take my afternoon walk. Peace!

Antiquing+ cheering on co-workers= My Friday

2008-03-08T19:02:00.005-05:00

Yesterday during lunch I went to a few antique shops in downtown Frederick. It was raining, but still only a short walk so I braved the weather & walked around a few stores. I went to one store called Chiffon which is a few blocks away. It was a nice store, but a bit pricey. Next I went to Emporium Antiques. First of all the store is HUGE! It covers like an entire block easily. They have everything from furniture to old Life mags to antique clocks. No joke, if you are looking for something unique you will certainly find it here! I walked around that store for most of the hour lunch break. I found a ton of things I would have loved to take with me, but I settled on a few things I thought would add a great touch to my home. I got this bird hanger.

It is so sweet looking & I am sure I can find the perfect place for it. I also got this cute little owl that seems to peer through to the soul. I love him already!

Finally I got this milk glass cake plate. I made some St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes (boy are they good) & placed them on it! I did not ice them yet in this pic, but you get the idea.

When I went back to work my co-worker Kristen had completed her desk cleaning. She works really hard, as such, her little pod gets papers all over the place. This is her looking oh so happy after getting it all cleaned up. Yay Kristen! She is the sweetest girl!

I'm Back!

2008-03-07T00:27:00.003-05:00

I finally got a new power adaptor for my MacBook. I love this computer, but Apple is killing me charging $80 for an adaptor that was barely over a year old, yet had to be replaced. I saw online that so many customers have complained about this adaptor. Apple is great, but this needs to be remedied toot sweet.

But, I am thrilled that I have my wonderful laptop back!

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately. One that I am really enjoying is by Nicole of Pink Loves Brown. She calls her blog Making it Lovely as it is about making her Bungalow style home lovely with creative touches. She posts a lot of great pictures of the process.

This one was taken from a recent hutch redesign she did. Isn't it...well , lovely?

My mutts

2008-03-04T08:45:00.003-05:00

Last night I got some rare alone time at home. My husband was in class, my kids went to the YMCA with their grandmother & that left little ol' me home alone (except for my two dogs Lola & Bella & my son's guinea pig Vicious). I really can't say I did much with this time. I basically sat around and listened to Lola crying the whole time because she wanted to go too. What a brat! Here is a picture of Lola & Bella doing what they do best.

They typically lay around all day and look out the window or sleep. Sometimes one of them gets in heat & they try to hump each other. I really never knew female dogs did that. I thought that was something only nasty little horny studs do, but I guess the bitches gotta have some fun too!

The funniest thing is my sons call them lesbians because of this behavior! I tell them that since they are half sisters they are actually incestual lesbians. I'm sayin'. They need to get it right!

Bella watching TV? Lazy mutt!

Trunk Show

2008-03-02T15:51:00.004-05:00

Every first Saturday there is a Gallery Walk in downtown Frederick, MD. One of the stores downtown, The Muse , sells Erica Burns Designs, my jewelry line. The owner, Whitney, asked me to be the featured artist this month. I had a real blast interacting with all of the customers all evening and talking about my jewelry. I even saw a girl I went to high school with who recognized me!

Sweetie's Kitchen

2008-02-26T15:20:00.003-05:00

I am telling you I really am feeling domesticated lately! Last night I made 2 batches of CUPCAKES! Yummy. I made chocolate with vanilla whipped frosting & strawberry with vanilla whipped frosting. I added sprinkles & viola! My teenager was not too happy with them because he announced that he only likes yellow "regular" cake. Plus he said the sprinkles were just too much. Teenagers! You can't please them. My 10-year-old liked them though. He ate a strawberry one before I even frosted it. My husband said he would love to have a cupcake from "Sweetie's Kitchen." Sweetie is his pet name for me. :)

I also took a bunch to my mother and nieces & nephew. My 2 year old nephew wanted to eat his for breakfast! Bad Auntie taking treats over in the morning! Tonight I will try to get a picture of one of my cupcakes to post before they disappear!

Computer issue :( ...Cooking :)

2008-02-21T14:30:00.002-05:00

I have not blogged in a few days because beloved Apple MacBook's powercord has been destroyed! I have to get a new one right away, but they are quite expensive so I must wait a bit. That's the bad news, but the good news is my cooking. I have been making some marvelpus meals lately. My hubby, Troy, has been thrilled with all of the great food I have been making lately.

My last post on 02/17 was about the food I was going to make that night. I did end up making the apple fritters. They turned out really good! Troy couldn't get enough of them.

I also made red beans & rice & fried chicken. The chicken was so yummy. Troy said it was my best ever, and that is a lot coming from him!

You see the beautiful golden color? The secret to always getting a beautiful golden color is to add a few dashes of hot sauce to the egg mixture before dipping the chicken in flour. I got that tip from my mother who got it from a woman (God rest her soul) from the deep south! It works every time.

I made all of this food on 02/17/08. Then on 02/18 I made fajitas. I don't eat steak, but my family loves it, hence the 2 pots cooking fajitas!

I just used a McCormick powered mix which was quick & easy, but delicious. If you only have 20 minutes to make a meal try these fajitas with frozen stir fry vegtables. This meal was gobbled up by my boys & it only took me 20 min. to cook it!

Killer Play & Killer Food

2008-02-17T11:52:00.003-05:00

Last night my husband, Troy, took me to see Killer Joe at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) in Frederick, MD. It was a really fun play. The set was amazing! The play was set in a trailer home in Texas. The kitchen/ living room had such attention to detail. There were ZZ Top & Led Zepplin posters on the wall, a little troll on the TV (a la 1985), the table even had the old Tupperware salt & pepper shakers! The acting was very good as well. We had a really great time!

Since I have no work tomorrow (thank you President's Day) I am going to make a nice big dinner tonight. I am planning to make fried chicken, rice & steamed vegtables. I am also going to make these Apple Fritters I found at allrecipes.com. They look yummy & I have some apples I need to do something with since they are not being eaten quickly enough. Troy loves home cooking so he should like these!

I have been doing a lot of cooking lately. I made this recipe from Rachel Ray last night.
They were a real hit! We had enough left over for breakfast this morning too.

I also plan to do a few loads of laundry and get some crafting done today. I'm going to be a busy girl!

Killer Joe

2008-02-16T12:10:00.001-05:00

Tonight my loving husband, Troy is taking me to see a play tonight at a local theatre. It is called "Killer Joe" & is supposed to have adult content including nudity. I've never seen a play with nudity! I'll have to post about it tomorrow.

Peace,

Pushing it through on Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T15:56:00.004-05:00

Today we had a Valentine's Day Luncheon at work. It was nice & I ate way too much sugar, but it's a day for sweets so I think it was ok! Well before the luncheon we had a unit meeting & I literally had to excuse my self from the room for a few minutes to go out in the hall to laugh. My supervisor (who runs the meeting) uses all of these little sayings to describe things & it just cracks me up! She says you need to "push it through" CHESSIE. SIDE NOTE ***CHESSIE is our computer program we use to record all services*** Then she said when the "validations pop" we need to make sure we need to make sure we validate them in CHESSIE. Then this other man joined in & said if we made any mistakes he would "back it out" for us. At some point in June they are going to pay our vendors through CHESSIE so my supervisor describes this as "when they flick the switch in June." I was so tickled that I could not stop giggling to myself. I guess it did not help that each time one of them said these things I repeated them to the person beside me & wrote them down. The girls on either side of me were cracking up! Then as a grand finale to say that the State of MD (my employer) was not going to let us fill one of our vacancies she said they abolished the position. Then when we all kind of laughed & said "they did what with the position" she said well I don't know if abolished is the right word but they "snatched" the position. Boy that woman cracks me up! I am still cracking up as I write this. If you don't get any of this I guess you kind of have to know the players, but believe me it was freaking funny!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Boots (cuz it's cold)!

2008-02-13T14:31:00.005-05:00

My Mom officially thinks she is hip now. She got these boots yesterday. My niece has a pair of the mini in tan & she fell in love with the warm soft feel of them & got herself a pair of classic in black.

She also got these slippers.

She should have got 2 pairs of slippers since she is retired now & mostly just hangs around the house in her pajamas! Lazy old retired lady! :)

Winter, Work & Stuff

2008-02-13T09:46:00.003-05:00

It's still freaking snowing, icing, raining... doing something miserable out there! Have I mentioned that I really dislike this weather? It is times like this that I wish I lived someplace very warm & pleasant, like Hawaii or Key West. Ah, the warmth, the water, the wind... But for now I am stuck here in this frozen tundra! Well at least I don't live in Wisconsin or Minnisota or North Dakota.

Hardly anyone bothered to come to work today. I am glad because I got a parking space in the lot even though I got here at 9AM. Whoo hoo! I never get to park in the lot. If you don't get here by 7:30 you have to find a park on the street somewhere, which is usually a few blocks away.

My "Secret Pal" at work (which is basically like a Secret Santa but all year) has been really good to me so far. I already got a 2 weeks of dress down paid for by my Secret Pal & a bag full of goodies for Valentine's Day! Me on the other hand... I have done nothing for my secret pal. I need to step it up! Well I have work to do so gotta go! PEACE!

This blogging thing

2008-02-12T22:05:00.003-05:00

I saw my friend Shayne this past weekend. She has been blogging everyday here. I was reading it ( more like narrating it right in the middle of Panera Bread) when I was with Shayne & thought it would be fun to try to write about something. So here goes with this blogging thing...

Today was election day. I voted. It was awesome. Barack Obama won in my fine state of Maryland. I just listened to his victory speech, which was pretty damn cool. "Party like Barack Star," that's what I always say!

It snowed & iced here today. It was not too bad but I hate the snow. I like one pretty dusting per year as long as it is a Saturday or Sunday & I don't have to go out in it. I hate being cold & wet. Come on summer!!!!!! Give me that suffocating Maryland humidity over this crap any day.

Well, I think it is time for a glass of wine & bed. Peace Out!!!!!!

Huge DC Craft Mafia Show this Saturday November 3rd!

2007-10-28T15:14:00.001-04:00

Come see me & my new line at the DC Craft Mafia show Saturday November 3rd at The Anastasi Room in Bethesda, MD. Just 2 blocks from the Bethesda Metro Station!

Erica Burns Designs in DC Craft Mafia Holiday Show!!!!

2007-07-25T14:54:00.000-04:00

The DC Craft Mafia is putting on a holiday arts & crafts fair!!! We are so excited! We have an awesome venue, right in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland. We hope to see you there! More details about the show, including a vendor list will be listed early in September.

DC Craft Mafia presents
The Unusual Suspects Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival
Saturday, November 3, 2007
12pm - 8pm
The Anastasi Room
5020 Battery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814

Over 50 6'x6' vendor spaces are available.
For more details and an application, go to
www.dccraftmafia.com/events.html

à deux ailes

2007-07-06T15:56:00.000-04:00

One cool thing about delving into the world of design is all the cool people you meet along the way. I met Lois of "à deux ailes" on myspace of all places! Lois is from France, but speaks great English. She friended me on myspace & we started chatting on myspace regularly. She tells me about the breaking into the jewelry design scene in France & I tell her about how it is in the States. We even did a jewelry exchange.! I sent her a Double Slink lariat (seen below)

& she sent me one something like this:

Lois & I have been friends now for several months rooting on one another from across the pond!
You can see more of Lois' work at http://www.adeuxailes.com/.

Here is Lois again...isn't she beautiful?!

Until next time...
E

Welcome!

2007-07-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I plan to write about my adventures in the world of crafting, designing, and all the lovely things that come with it. I am an independent jewelry designer from Maryland, about 45 min. northwest of DC & 45 min. west of Baltimore.

I create hand hammered jewelry from sterling silver & gold filled metals, like these gold filled earrings on my model Lilly.

I also make vintage inspired jewelry from vintage finds, like this necklace made from a vintage Japanese charm.

Check back often for updates on my business and my quest to find the best indie designers out there to share with you!

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)!
E