West Coast has been so busy this past month. Between Custom jobs, doing our own thing and restoration.
We've made two trips to Vancouver Island in the last month and we'll be in the Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market on the 28th of September. The event can be seen here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/148745518651654/

A lot of growth and requests have come in this last month that we've had to sit back and really look at our priorities. We've two toddlers, as well we're involved with our church. So at this point we're leaning more to doing custom work.
Email, Call or Message us with a request. We'll look around for a similar piece and if we find one, a deposit will be asked for and that will be completed upon day booked.
We've been doing this this week, and it seems to not only be less stressful - but a lot more scheduled.

So far we've two table sets we're working on, two buffet/hutches, two dressers and one coffee table, also a old restoration trunk.
Seems like a lot, but with two of us working, we complete the jobs with a quality finish.

Next week is a lot less busy, so book your slot. We hope to hear from you soon!
Here are a few custom pieces that we've completed in the last month.

{Giveaways Are Fun!} A How-To

Hello,

I thought I'd sent a quick blog out to help you all get more votes in.
At the bottom of this post it should give you the option to post in various different applications.

Hope this helps! Keep sharing away!

Fillin' this shop up!

Contact for prices!
Westcoastcountrydesigns@gmail.com

Gorgeous Antique Sideboard

This piece is so beautiful. It currently has a varnish drying on it to protect it. The drawers and cabinet are lined and it would look gorgeous in a dining room, entrance, even as a baby change table! Possibilities are endless.

New items for sale

Please contact me for pricing!
Westcoastcountrydesigns@gmail.com or 604-700-7559

http://www.facebook.com/westcoastcountry ( copy and paste into browser )

Vintage 3 drawer dresser with chalk board and Annie Sloan chalk Paint and Wax!

This dresser just lights me up. Would be adorable in a nursery or a entry way!

West Coast Country Launches a Blog!

This blog is a previous personal blog I used to write on. I've since left it wondering what to do with it and ta-da! I turned it into a West Coast Country page!
This page will be for extra photos and details on pieces. Rants and raves about scores and deals we've found. How To's and so much more. Stay tuned and please do bookmark this one!


www.facebook.com/westcoastcountry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WestCoastCountryLTD
www.facebook.com/westcoastcountry

West Coast Country Designs

Hello everyone! I hope you check our new Facebook page out at www.facebook/westcoastcountry

Thank you!

Week Six. The info you want.

So today ends week six on Isagenix. I can tell you that since week five I've felt ALIVE. The first month was really just detoxing my system. Since week five, I've just felt amazing. Like I'm back to my pre-kids state.
Not a walking zombie, feeling gross ( even when eating well )..

I think the biggest thing for me is that Isagenix is teaching me to love my body, regardless what it looks like. I'm putting the best possible nutrition into my body and that in it self should be loved.
It's also teaching me to celebrate crap food or as we like to call it "joy food". Any "diet" that you're on will fail. This is a lifestyle and it teaches you control and that 10% of the time you're allowed that extra cheesy, extra saucy burger. It's not about saying no all the time. It's about being good to yourself but treating yourself out. I think that's what a lot of systems and diets wont teach you. That's why they don't work.

I've just felt so much more alive, can I say that again? Well, it's true. Isagenix is really working through my thought process and really creating positive thoughts. Of course when your body feels toxic your mind is going to exude toxic waste too... at least, this is how it was for me before.

I'm so excited to order my third month on Isagenix on the 25th. Of course, I'm not still on the cleanse, but these are products that I've ordered for my family and myself this next order.
-Energy Bars ( which really taste like a amazing chocolate bar, packed full of protein and nutrience )
-Energix ( flavored juice crystals that REALLY pump up the energy without the crap and aspertain and chemicals...
-Ionix ( can't make it through the day without this amazing energy packed drink. Not only does it help reduce stress but it also helps you sleep better among many other things.
-Shakes ( I've not ordered any this time as we have about 8 canisters in our cupboards that the four of us share )

So those are just a FEW of the products I've ordered this time.. Very excited to get my order. As mentioned above, some days I'm doing two shakes and other days I'm doing one shake. It depends. But it doesn't matter. Because Isagenix is teaching me the fundamentals for having a healthy lifestyle. Not just a quick weight loss or a diet that WILL fail. I take the cleanse drink every night before bed, and of course the Ionix twice a day.

This is the best choice I could of made for my body and I'm so glad I got forced into it, by my amazing mother. Who, has now lost 29 pounds and over 60 inches! WOOHOO....What a amazing lady!!!

I've lost over 30 inches now, so I'm pretty proud of that number! I feel healthy and amazing now, imagine how I'll feel in another six months!

Please contact me if interested, I can hook you up! Watch this vid!
http://www.isagenix.com/ca/en/areyoutoxic-promo.dhtml

30 Days on Isagenix ( 30 Day Cleanse ) Review. Good & Bad.

So this post will be brutally honest and will give you a unbiased view of this product.

My mom started on Isagenix the beginning of October and kept pestering me to join. I was skeptical because not only did I feel that it was a lot of money, but I felt it was just another shake company. There are so many shake companies out there, and I just felt I could achieve the same results by eating clean.
Let me just back petal and tell you all why I eat. I eat to numb myself, to comfort myself. I eat when I want to celebrate or have fun. I eat when I'm sad or angry... YES, I'm a emotional eater. I love food, I love cooking and baking. I love everything about food.
I needed to break this cycle especially because I've been through so much and feel so damaged.

My mom really kept bothering me, and I kept telling her I didn't have the money. Of course we had money, but I just didn't feel like some packaged formula could cure me. I wanted to spend the money on whole organic foods.
But you can't get all your daily needs from just eating organic and whole foods.

On January 30th, while I was puking my body up from the flu ( that lasted a week ), my mom decided to just order me a 30 day system, in which I paid her back... but that's what it took. Her ordering me the system without me having a say.
Needless to say, I'm done my 30 days, and I've lost 3.2 pounds and 25.25 inches!Also, my umbilical hernia has gotten smaller. This is a HUGE one for me because the doctors wanted to operate on me, and I refused because I want to have another baby... but in order to have a baby, I need to get rid of it. Tricky situation! For those who don't know, I got my umbilical hernia half way through  my pregnancy with Cai, and was put on bed rest at 26 weeks. Very painful.

How it's worked for me:
It has given me more energy, I've obviously lost a crap load of inches, I've been sleeping better.

What I've yet to see ( I'm doing a second month ):
I've been quite stressed. The first two weeks started out great, then hubby's crew all got layed off for over two weeks of work.. and went downhill from there. My skin has been breaking out, bad, I'm thinking it's because it's casting toxins out.. I've been more depressed this month. Again, I'm not sure if that's from the two weeks of having a husband layed off and not knowing where money is coming from, or having the flu at the beginning and end of the month which both lasted a week each...
Then again, I sit here and wonder how I would of reacted to the husband being layed off for two weeks and getting the flu a week after that. Glen keeps saying I was pretty calm. 

I'm going into a 2nd month of Isagenix and I have great hopes for it. It was tricky starting Isagenix in January because every year I seem to get the Christmas blues, bad.. as well as having not much family or friends near me, I just feel so isolated. Combined with all the sickness and money issues last month. EKKK. I'm surprised I've done as well as I did... Imagine how well I'll do on a good month?

Here are my goals for February 2013.
-To find happiness in God rather than food.
-To start up Pilates again ( So calming )
-To celebrate the joy food, and not beat myself up
-To realize this is a lifestyle, NOT just a quick weight/inch loss.

I'll once again update you after the 60 days... but I've a feeling I'll have AMAZING results.
I mean, look, I already gained a ton of energy and lost so many inches... Can you imagine would will happen in 60 days?

Please contact me if interested, it is changing my life is more way than one.

I'm Cheap. Here's a how to.

Many of you have asked, wondered and questioned my ability to find great deals while still holding somewhat of a style ( Yes, I like to think I've some style ).
It's quite easy. I browse. BROWSE, Browse, b-r-o-w-s-e. AND think outside the box.

-Here are some of the top sites I look for deals:
-Local mommy groups/sites
-Craigslist ( The majority of my hits )
-Kajiji
-AND, in store too.
-Coupons

I rarely buy anything full price. I mean, if I REALLY REALLY want it, maybe. I know a lot of you're thinking: Well, I look for deals, but I can never find anything. 
How often are you looking? I browse the free section on Craigslist about 10 times a day. Lucky for me, this takes no time at all. If you've a ipad or a iphone that can be in a pocket, you can do this while playing with your kids, drinking your morning coffee... or eating lunch!
Second, If there's something I want: This week we decided to get a new video monitor for our kids because our last one blew up six months ago. Instead of going straight to the Costco which I almost did, I browsed online, then I browsed Craigslist.
Turns out, I found the exact model I wanted for 100 bucks. No taxes. They're 260.00 in stores + Taxes.
This is how I see it. Every penny I save, can go to something else. Something else we need, want, better food or savings.
A lot of the canadian/american world doesn't realize this. But good for them, they keep our economy afloat. Don't get me wrong, I DO support small and local stores. In fact, that's where I do buy things new.
I'm from a smaller town on Vancouver Island, and we've a street called "5th Street" A lot of specialty stores and people trying to make it by doing something they love, in a place they love.
That street always attracts us and we often spend a bit there.
But when it comes to big box stores, although we do spend money there. We try to spend less and be more creative.
This week we found a 1500 bed frame for FREE. The only thing we payed for was 20 dollars in gas & our time trying to set up the crazy thing. ( It's a storage bed, which is super handy.. but without a manual, took us some time to set up! )

I feel it's way easier to live the way I'm talking when you live near or in a big city. So much competition. Back in November I finally put my mind to buying a pair of new Hunter boots.
Glen was going to buy me a pair for Christmas, but I just couldn't stomach spending 167 + 12% tax on a name. I mean, they're rubber boots. They probably cost 10-20 bucks to make!
Anyways, browse I did and three weeks later I found a pair of grey size eight Hunters. Lady was asking 30, and I snagged them for 25. Now THAT is a steal.
We needed winter tires so last week I found a set with 95% tread left for 25/tire. Yes we could of spent 600+ in stores... but when you can get them for 25/tire, who wants to argue with that?

I find being frugal with food is a lot harder. You can't be picky. If you want to fill your body with packaged, processed crap, yes It's quite easy to live on 200 a month for food...
But when you want to fill your body with whole, real and organic foods. It's much harder. There's no coupons for fruit, vegetables or real meat. This makes up 90% of our diet. So this is the only area we're not too frugal. I still buy little.
Did you know that instead of doing a grocery shop every 1-2 weeks. If you do one every 3-4 days and get what you NEED. Plan ahead ( meal planning ) you can spend a lot less.
We like to buy our meat and cheese in bulk. PLAN AHEAD. But, if you find a good deal... GET IT. Meat often goes on sale towards the end of the week... so I buy a lot, and just freeze it. Every two weeks BIG huge blocks of Armstrong cheese ( 900 Grams ) goes on sale for 6.99... so I often by 2 or 3. ( Cheese can be frozen as well as fruit and veggies )
Chop your fruit up. Don't buy those pre cut packages.. you get WAY LESS.. and you don't know where the fruit is from
Try to buy local. We found that there's a lot of little organic fruit/veggie huts around here, and your produce is amazing and cost is way less.

Sleep on it. Often when I find something I want, I sleep on it. If I really want it in a few days, I'll buy it.

Last but not least ( because there are so many more important factors in being frugal ) is to be content with what you have. Why buy something it new if your current item still works?
 
Happy Shopping!

The pain of never saying goodbye

I'm reluctant to start this in any sort of way. I know that I'm ready to talk. I'm not ashamed anymore. I don't blame myself anymore. So here it goes..

On October 28th, five years ago, I was left in the middle of the night by my husband. No tell tale signs. No fight, he just vanished. I guess that was the sign.
I don't remember a lot from that marriage or that period of time. My heart was shattered, literally shattered. I remember not caring, giving up. I just wanted to sleep. I didn't care about anyone around me, their feelings, their hurt.
I think my mind erased him and that pain because it wanted to heal itself. Well, that's not how you heal yourself.
Just now, being on isagenix has somehow opened my heart, and my mind. I'm unsure if my kids have completely clouded over and taken up all my mind space that I just didn't take the time to think about it. Or I didn't want to. I don't know.
What I know is, if anyone brought up the situation or my past. I would instantly change the subject. Still to this day it's hard to remember that period of my life. I know I was married before, but I usually forget and I can't rememeber much.

I'm writing this blog to let you know the pain of never saying goodbye. The pain of knowing that you'll never see someone again ( it's like they died ) except they're alive and don't want you anymore.
It's the most heart wrenching thing I'll ever go through. ( I really hope I don't have to top that... my heart would explode! ) But God gives us grace, right?
I remember days I just wanted to die. The pain was unbearable. I remember ( barely ), drinking so I wouldn't hurt, and trying to find love else where. Glen was my angel. At the time it wasn't good. I shouldn't have ever included him into my sad and painful life... but I did, and look where it got me?
A future I would of only dreamed of. I'm blessed so unbelievably much now.

But lets pedal back a bit, shall we. I'm writing this to tell you to care. Care for those that are hurting around you. Because there are so many.
They may be embarrassed or hurt, angry or depressed. The list goes on. But be persistent. I often felt like I was alone, and like everyone judged me. I now know that this wasn't the case. But at the time it was hard to see past my own thoughts.

If I pushed you out of my life it was only because I was in so much pain and embarrassed at the fact that my husband thought I was so terrible that he left me.
It was  never my fault. That's something that I've come to know.

If you're reading this and you're in pain. Please read my words and know, it gets better. It truly does. I thank God every single day for the hard and thorny path he put me on. So painful, but it's led me to two beautiful baby boys and a husband who is so patient with me and treats me like a princess.

If you're wondering why I'm writing this blog and being so honest. It's because I want you to know that I'm not ashamed anymore. I don't deserve to live in fear to praise God, or to love my family because Satan is always whispering in my ear that I don't deserve this.
I do and you do too.

So take a extra second to let a friend know you're there.

The future is now, so enjoy it!

It's funny how my emotions can be so different from day to day.  I'm still young and I've yet to realize in the moment that when I'm overtired ( like my children ) that probably means I'm going to be outrageous, and think negatively and wonder , what the crap is wrong with me?!
My mother often reminds me that maybe I'm tired. Then I turn on my PVR and click on one show...then the next.
Yes, I went to bed thinking, there must be something wrong. Why am I not happy? Well, it worked itself out that once I got a good night sleep my mind went back to normal progression and not on overload.

It's funny how this works. I often like to do a self diagnosis on myself, I like to know why and how. Life doesn't work like that. It's a progression of lessons, trails and periods of happiness. My biggest thing right now is trying to be content and at peace throughout it all.
I'm the kinda girl that likes to count down to events or days. So much so that sometimes I let the excitement for that day cloud the right now. It's something I think a lot of us struggle with.
But it's something I REALLY want to change this year. I'm not a huge fan of resolutions... I just think Jan 1st is a very convenient starting point. I'm determined to live in the now and be happy with my choices, regardless if it's a boring day or a exciting day.

As I write this, I've the cutest little boy sitting next to me practicing his number and alphabet. Every couple minutes he looks over at me and sais, "mom-mom, look!" He's so proud of himself, I like to soak these moments in as they are growing up so fast.  Maybe it's why I snap so many pictures.
I often look back through my albums and memory chips and just soak up our past life.

So, in conclusion, I'm off to snuggle a bit with my baby and enjoy maybe not a exciting day, but a day that I'm sincerely blessed to have.

Life as Jess.

I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from blogging because I'm embarking on a new adventure. A Adventure to pull myself together, spend quality time and treat myself how I should be treated.
It's been four sweet years of being a mommy. ( I count myself a mommy when I conceived ).
I love being a mommy, but it's stretched me physically ( har har ), emotonally, spiritually and mentally.
Giving birth to Cai it was like a switch went off. Anxiety. BAD anxiety... I've always had a short fuse... but having two under two seemed to trigger it. This is not to say I wasn't still a kickin' mommy. But, as many of you know, our relationship kinda halted. Right? I rarely left my house... my friends were on Facebook. Still are. Those of you who are still with me.
I became very negative, jealous and fearful. Oh, so fearful. I would get anxiety attacks about money, my weight.. what people thought of me. Oh, that's a cruel one. Why, oh why did I give a rats butt what people thought of me? Well, I did. So much so that I would lay in bed, unable to sleep because I was afraid I might of offended you or YOU in a certain way.
I was so negative. I felt like no one knew me. I was too embarrassed to say that anything was wrong with me. So when I posted me daily updates about how I was up every thirty minutes breastfeeding Cai all night. It wasn't about Cai at all. It was a cry for help.
Now I realize this all, and I'm setting myself free.

Right now I don't drive alone, and I rarely get out to see friends because It's a stressful situation for me and somehow I still want another baby because I love being a mommy THAT much.
I'd rather be friendless and stuck in my home and being a great mommy to three little babes!

But I'm hoping this will change VERY soon. As annoying as my constant Isagenix updates might seem, I'm hoping it will change me for the better. I already see positive results coming.
I'm allowing myself to be calm, collective. Think through things, say no.
It's day five today ( I'm cleansing the toxins out of my body ) But as of yesterday I had already lost 3.5 pounds and 5.5 inches. AMAZING.
As you've seen from my status updates I've also gained a TON of energy..... The Shakes and drinks you take every day are packed full of everything your body needs in a day.
No more coffee... and no more crap.

I'll keep updating you every few days/weeks to let you know how my progress is going. But as it stands I plan to buy another month and I'm buying IsaPro for Glen & Shakes and bars for the boys. Yep.. they're THAT good you can feed this stuff to your kids.
Oddly enough, I'm saving money on my food bill... At first I thought we would spend WAY over. I'm pretty frugal.
But this week I made a big batch of spaghetti, soup and pizza... and the boys have been OVERLY happy to eat leftovers for supper. 

Anyways, if interested in jumping on the bandwagon with me... take a look at my site! Or if you just want to watch and wait for all the goodness to fill my life, do that too!
It's only day five on this and it  makes me want to scream, with delight. I felt dead before. Honestly.

This is how I felt, maybe you can relate:
-Exhausted, constantly...Like I weighed 1000 pounds.
-Sleepy
-Bloated
-Sad
-Stressed out
-Anxiety
-Negative sometimes
-Goaless
- Skin was always dry/breaking out...
-Bad cravings

*Don't mind the hair, but this is on day 4. *

I'm sure there's more to add to the list, but those are the main ones. I'm not joking when I say that Isagenix is starting to change every thing on that list. Just watch me grow....
ALSO: If you sign up, I really don't get anything out of it...what I get out of it is to see you grow happier, healthier and skinnier!

http://jesssmorris.isagenix.com

The Holiday Sadness

Sorry for the lack of posting in the last week. We made a short trip back to the Island and then spent the remainder of our holiday throwing up. Yes, throwing up.

I've been off my rocker and really depressed since Christmas night. Christmas time is the one time of year you know it wont dissapoint. The magic is there, love, joy and family... regardless how much you have or how little you have, it's Christmas.
Christmas music warms my soul, yummy baking is fun to eat...and the anticipation of Christmas makes me so excited!
I feel like I got ripped off this year. I spent up to Christmas stressing, then I got the flu on the 26th. cold and exhausted... which lead to throwing up and aches days later, and it went through our entire house.
I sound so greedy. I should be happy because I've my health, my beautiful children and eachother... but the fact of the matter is, I'm not.
Christmas is one time of year I can count on. It's always there. I don't know what's going to happen next week. I can't have another year like last year... I don't know what 2013 is going to be like.
It could be amazing, but it could be awful too.

This is NOT a positive way to look at the future. But it's how I've been feeling the last few days. It may still be a symptom of my flu... as I'm still gaining  my immune system back. Why do the holidays rip so fast past us?

I'm trying to see that everyday has blessings and joy! My goal this week/weekend is so love life again. Not just the holidays.

Thanks for letting me vent, and maybe once I'm back to my normal state of mind, I'll start sending off some real blogs.