Apologies and A Lesson Learned

I'll start this tale with some lovely photos for you to view since the story itself might be boring but there is a need to tell you what happened. Also I need you to email me with your blog address if you were on my list on the blog. I can add the ones from my Google Reader but they are not necessarily the same. So if you want me to put your blog on here, let me know and I'll check it against my other list. I need to get busy on it soon.

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First of all, I need to apologize for not keeping up with the blogs I love and check each and every day. Also for Pink Saturday and not visiting the participants, especially the ones who visit me. But life can throw you curve balls and we can do some really stupid things sometimes! ME......for instance.

This is why we have used Apple Macs for about 25 years now.

On 8/29/09 the new OSX came out: Snow Leopard, OSX or 10.6 to be exact. I ran to the MacLife store in Boise to buy it for $29.99 and came home and installed it. That same day I received my new HP Printer all-in-one and installed it. It didn't work properly and I called HP and asked for help. That sweet woman stayed on the line with me for about 2 hours and doing numerous tweaks and fixes and nothing got the printer to work correctly. She checked with her higher-ups and they said the drivers weren't up-to-date yet since Apple released Snow Leopard about 4 or 5 weeks early. So since I wanted to use my new super-duper faster printer and scanner, I went back and installed OSX 10.5 or just plain Leopard instead of Snow Leopard (SL).

Here's where I need to eat a bit of humble pie for telling friends and my ebay groups and anyone that will listen to this ol' lady to THINK before you do anything with your computer. When I re-installed Leopard, everything was as it would be when you reinstall any new Operating System or get a new computer: pretty much nothing personal on there or as I should say: zip, nada, nothing but the original OS just waiting for you to add your email accounts, PhotoShop, Office for Mac, photos, personal things, etc. But.............

I also subscribe to Carbonite because you just never know when something will happen. I also have an external HD. I also have Time Machine—exclusive to Apple Macs. So I wasn't too worried. But as luck would have it, all this transpired on a weekend (doesn't everything significant in your life to do with "business" happen on a friday night at 5:01 PM?!?! It usually does for me. I also have a laptop which I try to sync with my desktop since we travel with our laptops and I've learned from experience I want them both to have all the same things on them. So I'm pretty much covered. Except for my photos on iPhoto. They may not be on both computers.

So monday morning, 8/31/09 I'm on the phone with Apple getting their help. They came to the rescue magnificently. I always, always get a representative who is kind, considerate, patient, understands exactly what I need and walks me through it and then gives me their name and phone number and extension AND their work email to call them back or email if need be. I've tried it and they are back with me in just a matter of hours but they guarantee to be back within 24 hours. I've read where they rank #1 in customer service and they absolutely do with me!

Then monday afternoon I was back on with Apple again. They were on the line with me for a total of about 5-6 hours over the course of friday, saturday and monday and just shined magnificently. They never kept sending me to someone else. THEY did the trolling if they needed to get extra help.I'm going right to the bottom line here.

My Mac is restored to exactly what it was and what was on there. I've had to do a lot of reloading of the applications/programs such as PhotoShop, Office for Mac, iLife and Quicken (let me say here that the Quicken rep. was a true gentlemen also!) gave me a code to go in and download Quicken 2007 again for free. I wasn't charged a penny for any of this, not a penny! Just the hardest working reps at each place I went. It's been frustrating because I messed up by not properly taking off the new OSX and going back to the last version. But even Carbonite (whose help I didn't need after all because my Mac did it ALL!) was astounding in helping me. Now, I ask you, when in the world do other reps give you their number and extension and email to let them know how things are??? I am astounded with their help in this trial I've put myself through.

All this was going on as I was preparing to head out for our last camping trip of the year. Squeeeeeal!! All done for this year anyway. I'm still getting my blog back in order because during all this (my stupid button was on overdrive here, chicks!) I inadvertently was going to try a different template but while working in a browser that I don't usually work in I hit "save" and just about passed out when I saw that it went ahead and changed my blog template. But because I saved a copy of my template on my computer I could put it back in BUT things went a bit wacky then. Some of my widgets didn't appear, ones that did appear were different graphics/photos from the "title" of the sidebar gadget and it wiped out my blogroll. Yes, I can rebuild it and will but first things first. Hubby's desire to drag me off to the "wilds of Idaho" outweighed pretty much everything else at that point. Plus while doing all this I had 2 new molars crowned and was experiencing pain since the temporaries were put on 8/9/09. Could life get any more hectic? I don't even want to know!!!!

White Wednesday 9/8/09

When we traveled to Ireland many years ago we stayed in thatched cottages sometimes rather than the hotels. I love the ambiance of the cottages much more. This is how the Irish live: thatched cottages, linens and lace in almost every single window and sparkling clean windows even in the rain!

I use white lace lavishly around my home. This is NOT a picture of my home but similar to things I do.

Lace over pitchers to keep the flying insects out is a beautiful way to fend them off.

Not only white lace but white bows acting as "hangers." I've even used hubby's old ties to look like a hanger for a picture.

And, of course, mantels covered in exquisite antique vintage lace.

An easy-to-make clothes hanger skirt is also a luxury.

A lovely window vignette.

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White Linens #2

We can strew a beautiful battenburg lace cloth on the grass with a picnic basket and beautiful crystal stemware—even if it is just tuna salad sandwiches, we can still make it elegant and memorable.

There is nothing I like more than crisp white ironed embroidered little towels for my guests in my guest bathroom. I know they recognize the extra touches also. Always have fresh extra towels in there for them.

Who can resist shadows flittering across a beautiful white linen cloth with a vintage salt shaker?

Lovely bedpost draped with exquisitely fine linens tied back with a beautiful white tassel.

This is absolutely how I do every single shelf in my home. It just adds that feminine and luxurious touch to any room.

Or drape lots of exquisite lace over the head of your bed. You don't need a crown to do this; it can be done with cup hooks, I can assure you.

Another beautiful bedpost with linens draped around it.

You also don't need wicker or wood tables to add beauty. With a long linen tablecloth draped to the ground you could even use a folding table to hold your little tête-à-têtes.

The most vivid memories I have of Ireland are their windows being so sparkly clean and adorned with lace. Almost without exception that was the norm there. I'll never ever forget it. We did, in fact, pick up some lace curtains in a little shop in Ireland and they have graced our windows in many a house.

While my primary use of lace is for privacy (I have it on every single window of my home except hubby's office), my secondary reason is for the feeling of romance it brings to a home. Nothing else can quite measure up as lace does.

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Pink Saturday 9/5/2009

Yep, it's another pink saturday! If you wish to view all the participants go to Beverly's blog and go around blogland to visit each one. I think you'll get a treat visiting with them.

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Some close ups of my message boards that I call "memory" boards because it's one of my favorite places to hang the things sent to me by friends or members of my ebay group. The rose with the hanging beads are from Bertie of AuntMaysCottage. You don't want to miss this woman's sales on her website. She makes the most exquisite things with vintage wedding gowns.

The little hand painted ornament was painted by Lorena of RoseChicFriends. I have several of her hand painted items as well as a canvas she painted. Just beautiful! Give her a visit.

Just little tags and cards sent to me when I order something over the internet. They do bring me joy and I'm always surprised at the loveliness and generosity of these women.

This is another creation of Bertie's. She spoils me! But the little valentine heart creation is Rhea's of sweetnshabbyroses. She's been very ill for a couple of years now and isn't creating much these days much to the chagrin of those who have purchased her creations. But I do talk to her from time to time on the phone.

More cards and one little one that looks like an evening gown. Isn't that sweet?! I just loved it and knew immediately where it would go.

More cards and tags. I have the privilege of knowing some of the most talented women on the internet. The little red heart is by Lorena also. The pink string hearts are by Shirl of Shirlsrosecottage. She does the most exquisite silk ribbon embroidery.

Lorena also does clay roses that she makes into little pins as evidenced by the little pin in the bottom center left of this photo.

I thought I'd show you my favorite shirt. Orange is my least favorite color but when it was combined with red, pink and fuchsia in this shirt I couldn't resist. You can't see the front but I "embellished" it with pink pockets and ribbon strings. I need pockets in everything I wear, chicks!

Roses hanging over my bed attached to the canopy of netting.

I'm sure you've seen these paper pompoms before but it's pink saturday and I'm showing them again. They hang in 2 corners of my bedroom.

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Random Thoughts:

Idealism becomes exhausting. I much prefer realism.

Lunch with the Chicks at Cafe de Coco #2

First one thing: I accidentally deleted some things on this blog a few days ago and haven't had time to put them back on. My blog roll was one of them. I have 160+ to add back on but that's going to have to wait until I get back from our camping trip starting today. I was using a different browser, which is just a tad different from the one I usually use, and tried to see what a new template would look like. I was in shock when instead of "previewing" it, it actually changed it. When I put the regular template THAT I SAVED(!) back on several things were "wrong" and several things had been deleted. So that's just one of my minor dilemmas at the moment. I have them all on my Google Reader (thank goodness!). I'll add them back later as I said. Also if you'd like me to add yours, just let me know by leaving a message on this post. But read the sidebar on the right about me adding blogs, which USED to be on the left. *Sigh*......................

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More photos of Cafe de Coco. Isn't this cute? Prices were a bit more than I was willing to spend that day but they had some things I would really have loved to buy.

That little dress form was one of the things I would have loved. And the shelf actually.

And this bureau.

And this! I don't think it was for sale though, just a display piece.

Dried flowers strewn around the tops of one brightly colored wall.

Another display piece that would have fit on my front porch actually!

Lots of little froufrou things for the shabby home.

This is just as you come in the entry door to the cafe.

The whole vignette is simply to-die-for! Just adorable. Very Parisienne. That little chair and dresser are absolutely adorable.

And how about this darling chandelier?! Well, it isn't actually a chandelier but it hangs so prettily with glass ornaments.

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Random Thought:

Men and women definitely do not speak the same language. Think about that and I may have more on it at a later post.
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