ARTS AND CRAFTS .. A JOURNEY ENHANCER - I NEVER CHANGED...

Except for size and intake I have remained the same .... from my biggest weight and to this date I LOVE LOVE LOVE making dolls .. I make soooooooooooooo many dolls that I lose count and I give them away to kids at the outreach center, to the sick, to the well, to family, friends and strangers alike... I have yet to sell one and do not plan on EVER doing so... I have made hundreds of dolls and their clothes that I have lost count. I am currently working on a batch of dolls for Xmas giveaway ... 

I LOVE MAKING DOLLS!!! I did this wayyyyyy BEFORE WLS and I do it now ... I use/used my awesome hobby during my weight loss journey... who has time to crave food when having fun??? and I give them away .. to friends and strangers alike... my mom RIP made all our dolls .. and I have yet to make a doll as awesome and perfect as the ones my mom made ... I have three of the dolls she made me on display...

I make dolls and I collect them too

I have even made dolls for friends in distress ... like these I made for someone on here......

I love making bassinets, layettes, decorating gift baskets and a couple years ago an OH friend shared how to make diaper cakes and I started making those too.... I have made 3 centerpieces so far ... and I have given them all away... to strangers and friends alike... the bassinets in my before picture are re-cycled by me and given away to the outreach program ... before and to this date I LOVE LOVE LOVE making these and giving them away... it is arts and crafts and FUN.... 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE TO SEW .... I made my plus sized wedding gown when I married my Al and I made my skinny gown when we re-affirmed our vows 18 months post WLS and at my lowest weight... We cried through the whole reaffirmation ceremony... I made all 12 bridesmaids dresses at my wedding too and Al baked our awesome tiered cake...

I made my dress the night before my ceremony...

BEFORE AND AFTER ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE to sew...

I love teaching Spanish and French our community outreach summer camp at church and I love outreach activities period... did it BEFORE and do it now... it is FUN... 

the best fun was painting wooden dolls with the children .... 

and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to paint and sketch... from murals, to portraits to even looking and painting from OH friends avies ... I paint...

Beautiful DS-er Kirmy pre-op on canvas painted by me ...

I LOVE TO PAINT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE ... AND I MISS MISS MISS MISS MY BROKEN WALL AT OUR FORMER HOUSE ... every season I painted a mural on it and shared it on here ... I MISS THAT WALL ...

So see... I NEVER CHANGED AFTER ALL ... except for my intake and size .. my heart is just as goofy as it always was .... and I am STILL on my quest to remake my Jade doll ... that awesome doll my son bought me and my dog chip broke .... in the interim I fired up my kiln and my oven and I made Dedes in poured porcelain ...

I love love love love taking pictures ... ALWAYS DID .... my life is mine and I am living it ... embracing Joy over Misery and making it HAPPEN to me... just like my friend Fini said....

You are just an amazing, beautiful inside & out woman!!! 

Thank you my beautiful sista!!! I ditto the same back to you .. it is your AWESOME journey that I follow on FB also that keeps me hitting the track and running in the mornings ... what an awesome inspiration you are and have been always!!!