Monthly Archives: August 2014

Updated TV Console.

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Bryan, a friend and loyal IFL follower, was moving out of his house and offered up his old media console. I was unsure of it at first, I thought it didn’t really fit the darker color scheme I had going but then I was inspired for a new project!

DSC_1819(I took the sliding glass pieces out of the console and began to dust and clean the entire piece)

DSC_1821(I took one of the glass sliders and sprayed it with a few coats of a metal polished paint)

DSC_1822(I first primed the entire console – white, and then coated it with two layers of a dark chocolate brown color)

DSC_1824(I slid the gray piece of glass in and left the other piece clear)

DSC_1826(I added wheels to the bottom, because I was going for a more industrial look)

DSC_1849Here is the finished piece in all of it’s glory. It looks great in our apartment and is basically unrecognizable from it’s former state.

At Home Mani

DSC_1866My friend Meris got me these tiny little brushes used for painting details on your nails about a year ago. I never knew what to paint but lately, I have been drawn to wallpaper and prints with giant oversized flowers; I guess you can say I have been inspired. Here’s what I did and it honestly couldn’t be easier!

DSC_1853(Paint your nails one solid color, it can be dark or light)

DSC_1856(Take the colors that you would like to use for petals and leaves and drop a bit on each on a piece of paper. I added some sparkle for flair and got my tiny brush handy)

DSC_1857(Take the lightest color and paint the petals)

DSC_1858(Use the lightest green to paint the leaves)

DSC_1859(Add dark green to add depth to the leaves)

DSC_1860(Add the darker pinks to fill in the petals)

DSC_1864(I added some gold glitter to wherever I wanted and sealed it all with a clear coat of polish)

I know this seems like a lot of work, but I love looking down at my hands and having one fun nail! Let us know if you try it out and send us pictures at iflunch@gmail.com!

Protein Power Breakfast Hour

Lately, I have been reading more and more about eating a protein heavy diet filled with good fats in order to help build muscle and ward off the hungry feelings I get every few hours. I came up with this simple and tasty breakfast the other morning and it certainly has been keeping me full longer. 

DSC_1829(What you’ll need: corn tortillas, avocado, eggs, tomato slices, and feta cheese)

DSC_1831(Step 1: Warm your tortillas)

DSC_1836(Step 2: Cook egg whites while tortillas are warming)

DSC_1832(Step 3: Sprinkle warm tortillas with feta cheese. Goat cheese would work great here too)

DSC_1837(Step 4: lay egg whites on top of feta to melt the cheese a bit)

DSC_1834(Step 5: Grill your tomato slices)

DSC_1839(Step 5 & 6: Place the tomato slices on top on the egg whites and then layer on avocado. Additional salsa is a good option as well)

All of these flavors together make a delicious breakfast or lunch for that matter. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

 

Cliff Hanger.

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The Grand Canyon is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen.  It’s enormity is stunning in itself.  I had always wanted to see this Natural Wonder of the world and now I can’t wait to go back.  It would be awesome to be strong enough to climb the canyon one day in the future.  But for now, here’s my faux climbing 🙂

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Walking out.

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The canyons are massive!

Definitely add the Grand Canyon to your bucket list if you’ve never seen it before.  It was mind blowingly beautiful!

Gym Bag Essentials.

Gym Bag Essentials

I love, love, love spending some time practicing yoga, climbing, or just a regular ol’ gym workout.  One thing I’ve come to realize is that life is much easier if you keep these essentials in your gym bag.  Besides for the regular socks, shoes, and clothing, there are a few other things that are staples for my trips to the gym.

1. A good, sturdy bag.  I got a weekender bag and turned it into my gym bag, like this one for $27.80.  I keep my combo lock attached to the strap for easy use of the lockers.

2. Batiste’s dry shampoo!!  I can’t get enough of this stuff.  A little bit goes a long way and putting a little spritz in your root layers can even give you some volumn.  I keep one or two mini containers of this in my gym bag, in my desk at work, and of course when I travel.

3. Extra hair ties.  I use the plain black ones that you can find at Walgreen’s but someone has really perfected the hair tie and now there are even cute ones!  These always come in handy whether you need one or someone happens to ask, you will be the life saver.

4. A pair of flip flops like these ones for $7.50.  It feels really good after a hard work out to take your shoes off and let your feet breathe a little bit.  This is always my gym bag highlight.  I always forget I have them and am always excited to put them on.

5. My Nalgene water bottles.  If you know me, you know that I should pretty much have one of these glued to my hip.  I’m all about staying hydrated and these things help keep me hydrated all day long.  You can also travel with them!

6. Face wipes!  You don’t realize how dirty your hands get at the gym let alone what clings to your face when you sweat.  Just sayin’, keep your skin clean and keep some of these in your bag.

What are some of your gym bag essentials?!