A "Spa" Day and Retail Therapy ;-)

One Sunday recently I didn't go to church. My stomach wasn't feeling all that well so I stayed home. When hubby got home, I lamented about aging and the "not feeling so great" days we endure. He tried to cheer me up with a kiss and hug but I needed something else. So I told him if I was feeling up to it the next day, I was going to Sephora and getting my face made up. (I was and I did!) I also warned him it wouldn't be cheap. He knew that!

The little sweet young woman helping put on my new face was a cutie, and that always gets to us older women remembering how cute/pretty/beautiful and tight-skinned we were 50 years ago. But I truly don't lament the aging process that much. I know it's inevitable for everyone on this earth. Facelifts? Not for this woman. When they sag, it's an overnight/all at once thing for them. I want it to take years for people to get used to seeing me age, not one day looking old and the next looking like a Hollywood hag with slanted eyes and puffed-up lips.

So I got a wonderful moisturizer called Ole Henriksen, Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation, Stroke of Light concealer, 2 brushes, shimmering lip gloss, a free sample of eye lash injection (???) mascara and 4 free samples of Coach Poppy and Coach Poppy Flower perfume (smelled wonderful!!!). May buy some of it; it is that great. And my daughter has a number of Coach purses and loves Coach.

I didn't particularly see much difference except my dry skin felt wonderfully moisturized and under those harsh department store lights we all look horrid. But when I got home and hubby came home later, I asked him how I looked. He said, "Great." He's such a good liar. ;-) But I felt better all the way around just being pampered for an hour and a half, plus spending a chunk of money to the tune of $176.00! Retail Therapy? You bet! And since the first foundation she picked out to try on my skin didn't look good to her or me, she had me wipe it all off and started again with another brand. (I had heard of makeup called HD and Forever Makeup and wanted to try that but she said it was too drying for my skin. Knowledge she had but I didn't.) I couldn't have done that if I had bought what I thought I wanted, brought it home and didn't know how to apply it properly. I probably would have just have stuck it in the back of the cabinet and not used it ever again. She was free and experimented with different things. I liked that and absolutely felt pampered. No manicure, pedicure or massage could have done what she did. And I'm worth it! :-) Well, I think so.
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This is simply a gorgeous room and looks so clean and white. I, however, need some color in my rooms. But I still love this room!

A sweet idea for an Easter wreath, but I think you could leave it out all year round, especially in your house.

I like how the owner has a window and shade at the end of her table. It looks like she's delineating her dining area from her living area. Quite fanciful. I do that with lace curtains and love that look also.

Isn't this a sweet room for a young girl? If I had a little girl now, I'd try to replicate this Princess room for her. My daughter, however, is 51 years old! Hmmmm, she still would like this room I think. :-)

Another way to separate a dining area from another area: beautiful vintage doors. Of course, I'm lusting after that ruffled tablecloth!

An absolutely gorgeous dining room with pale lavender walls, blue and pink accessories. Beautiful!

A sweet painting of an English thatched roof cottage.

Beautiful dining room with a harlequin design painted on top and a saying on the side. Chairs are gorgeous also.

While these are pretty to observe, I'm not sure I'd want to live over water. Are there fish in there? Is it damp and smelly to the homeowners? Looking through the upper windows though it looks lovely, but why are there some serious bars on the first floor windows on all these buildings? You can just barely see the bars on the left window here.

What a lovely setting of table, beautiful old chair and basket to hold roses.

Speaking of roses, could it get much better than this gorgeous vase and dozens of roses? WOW!!!

Darling, darling, DARLING tiny potting area done right.

I think I've been on a dining room kick lately! Another beautiful one.

Now, is this a house on an island with only this bridge to get to it or is it there as another entrance? Cute though.

This is another look at a house I've shown earlier that had this little sitting area off the kitchen. What a lovely house. I think it must be in another country though, perhaps Australia. They have beautiful houses over there and some of the most amazing light.

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Tidbit:

12 nations have trillion-dollar economies. So do 3 US states: California, Texas and New York.

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Just Rambling Again 6/12/2013

Okay, I promised a giveaway and this is the day. To enter you have to be a follower and leave a comment. That's it. How much easier could it be? Here is what I'll be giving away. First this little ribbon tree. Yep, it can be yours. But there's more.

 Then these little letters to place on a table or to hang on your wall. I also include the fun-tac that will hold it, so no nails or anything to damage your wall.

Then a book I've been touting for many years: Living A Beautiful Life.

So it's up to you now to enter and I've told you the rules. On with the regular post.
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I love the this little kitchen/reading/dining area. Looking at the architecture, appliances, sink and windows, I think it might be in another country. Oooh, the colors definitely have something to do with it, but I just would like being able to have a little reading nook near a kitchen. This probably is due to the fact that I've burned many a meals while being here on this computer. My office is down a hall at the front of the house while the kitchen is on the back of the house. I even had the whole house fill with smoke while on this computer once and didn't know it until I went in to check on the roast I had forgotten I was searing. The whole house was filled with smoke except in this office. I had every window and door opened to get it out before Love Bunny got home from a few days away on business. I can't tell you how panicked I was because this has happened several times before. I was so afraid of what he'd say. The house aired out before he got home that evening but he could still tell I'd burned something from the smell in the garage even though I sprayed the entire house with Scentsy several times. He was kind. I now carry a kitchen timer with me wherever I go in the house if I have something on the stove.

I like paper lanterns outside. But sometimes we get high winds here in the desert so it tears them up rather quickly. I wondered if Mod Podging them would make them sturdier. I might try it on one and see how it works but I don't have much hope. And I'm too lazy to put them up and take them down when the winds come and go.

These are bags called Ruby Rag Tag bags. I've loved them for years but never bought one. She does the most gorgeous bags I've ever seen outside of Mary Francis bags, which are absolutely stunning.

I love the way she throws in loopy ribbon or fringe and the colors she uses.

I love this huge bathroom. Look. It has 3 sinks. Perfect if you have 3 girls! But the shower is huge with a sitting bench. My favorite shower would be one without a door to clean though. I have a friend that has a bathroom that is about the size of half of my house. Truly, she has more cabinets in there that any kitchen I've had in my life! Her shower is curved and stone but she said she's going to have to have it re-grouted as it tends not to last well. I can't remember the kind of stone. Anyway, there's no door on it as it doesn't need a door and that's my dream, to not have to clean the nasty scum and mold off of them. What am I saying? Hubs does that for me and it's not really bad in this area anyway. I can still lust, can't I?

Have you ever had a room with wacky colors like this? I haven't but I do still like the combination of colors she used.  Very pretty.

I've had old wine bottle boxes decorated similar to this many years ago. I think I gave them away as I haven't seen them around the house for years. They are usually pretty and very handy for additional shelves in a room.

A faint pink chair in a corner of a wainscoted room with a gorgeous rug underneath. Love the chair and ottoman. I'll be shopping for a new chair very, very soon.

Just something that touches my heart, a laundry basket with a pretty lining.

The chair is a bit busy and the room a bit dark for my taste but it is a very welcoming area in a room for reading a book.

A folding screen in a bedroom has always been a bit of drama I'd like to have had but I can never find room in any of my houses for it.

A European country lane invokes a lot of nostalgia for most of us.

I read recently where a famous person, I won't say whom, asks for her tour accommodations to have bottled water chilled to 21° (Isn't that ice instead of cold water?!), new toilet seats, special red toilet paper and $900 straws. Yes, that's $900 straws! What a waste.

This soothes my nerves after the post above! ;-) Just calming to my mind.

A beautiful way to store dishes, linens or just about anything. I think I'd love this one right here. ;-)

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Tidbit:

Each year, 36 million gallons of oil run off pavements into streams, rivers and eventually oceans in the United States. That is more oil than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.
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Linking up with NMH Open House and Pink Saturday.

My Hunt for the Best New Chair

Here's the story of my hunt for a new chair.

First of all, Juliette has 2 teeth now. This is great granddaughter #2.

This is one of the fabrics I was thinking about putting on the Lucien chair I wanted. When I showed it to my friend, she said, "It looks like you." I said, "Does that mean I'm cute?" :-) She said, "Yes."    :-)

This one was a serious consideration after seeing it done up in a darling bedroom at Ethan Allen in Boise.

While I loved this red fabric, it wasn't even close to the same red in my other chair so it wouldn't work.

My final choice. It's a bit French-looking also, which was a plus. I like a little bit of the French look in my home. The fabric is ideal also. It's almost burlap feel and look, but very substantial with a grade of "heavy duty" so it'll stand up to grandkids and great grandkids.

When I saw this ad in the a local high-end store in Boise, I almost cried. It's pretty much like the sofa I was considering at Ethan Allen, but went with another one instead. This one is priced at less than half the other sofa though.

That would NOT have been the color I would have chosen though. I am not into browns in any way.

Then I found other sofas while looking for a chair. Isn't this one darling? Reminds me of Pierre Deux fabrics and style.

I loved the style of this sofa and the whole room actually, but then I do love "Traditional" decor.

This one looks comfy also. We have so many choices that it's hard to select just one.

There isn't just any one thing I like about this room but put together, I love it. I think it's absolutely stunning.

This isn't an Ethan Allen chair but I would have chosen this fabric in a heartbeat; however, I have no clue where to find this fabric.

This one is gorgeous also but I like a cushion seat.

This sofa is so much like mine it's uncanny. Now, I can look at this and see how 2 of my current sofa, now in the family room, would have looked if I could get 2 sofas in my living room. I can't. It's just not big enough.

This would have been one I'd have seriously considered if it was available to me. But I love fringe on a sofa and I love that pink with the yellow walls. My sofa leans toward the yellows and my walls are pink. I love it though.

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Tidbit:
The average woman will spend 8 years of her life shopping.
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A Taco Bell Incident

Not long ago, I noticed a dark spot on the carpet and told hubs I think he spilled some chocolate from his mini-drumstick. (Remember, I've banned the ones with nuts on them because they were forever falling off and I'd be stepping on them in my bare feet all the time. As much as I love the Drumsticks with chopped nuts on them, I love my feet more!) He said he didn't think he did it, but I hadn't had any chocolate so it had to be him. Anyway, he got the spot remover and I got it up and all was well. Then I asked him how he was always dropping stuff from the cone onto the carpet. His reply to me: Because nothing gets past your chest. He's so right! That's one of the problem larger-chested women have. So be happy if you have a small chest. We've discussed this before, have we not?!? Hmmm?!
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Then recently there was the Friday trip to Taco Bell. I love Taco Bell and don't think anyone can beat them for Mexican fast food. But this night was a disaster. I ordered a taco and a burrito with beans and rice on it and a small drink. I filled it with lemonade, took it to a table, put it down and it immediately spilled over 2 tables, floor and me. Sigh. Then I got some burrito on my shirt. I tell you, be glad you're small in the bust department. It was truly ugly that night. I even offered to mop up the lemonade for them, but being kind they refused. I was so embarrassed but that's my life sometimes.
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A quote I love:
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. This can apply to people and houses.
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If this photo doesn't make you happy, there's no hope for you. These colorful cottages are adorable. The foliage looks tropical but it looks like snow on the ground, but it must be sand.

What a way to decorate for a party. This is first-class, I tell ya.

Just some beautiful flowers. Almost seem tropical with their vibrant colors.

Yeah, yeah, I know, you want the bed but the pillows must come with it, right? In fact, I'd like a couple of those pillows but I have enough to start a store now.

Just love the patina of this door and the balcony.

Learn your geography while spending time in this bathroom. It's a wee bit busy for me, but very creative. Wonder if it's in England. Hmmmm, could be.

A rose covered old cottage.

This looks like a vintage photograph but I'm sure it isn't. The photographer did a very good job on this though.

While the yard and path are gorgeous, I threw this in for a friend of mine, who loves dogs.

A stunning room. I'd love my office to be this cute.

For you lovers of cups and red ware.

Look how this homeowner has made the dining room so cute with these old barrel chairs painted white and shabby-ed up a bit. Then the gorgeous display of roses on the table and the huge plant on the credenza with a huge mirror. This is a lovely room.

I haven't a clue what kind of tree this is but I love its purple flowers and the serene setting for a luncheon.

This is in no way my style, but I just love the little daybed. Very colorful room though.

You've probably noticed I have a "thing" for secluded spots for lunches. Even indoors at restaurants I prefer a secluded spot if available.

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Tidbit:

The Netherlands has built 800 miles of massive dikes and seawalls to hold back the sea.
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