I've been away from blogging for a while now.  I joined Facebook and came to realize that is not for me. I still maintain a page there but it is only to see my great granddaughters antics. I've come to realize I loved the creativity blogger provides for me. Some women I know went the same path but couldn't get enough bloggers to view their blogs. I don't care how many view my blog. It's for me, nobody else. I have over 25,000 pictures to share tucked away on Photobucket. (I was one of their very first customers.) I love seeing beautiful things-eye candy to my eyes. Of course, it's always nice to have comments but I don't live for them. I just tuck myself away in our small home office and create, tell a bit about my life, post random thoughts I have, but there are always pictures on here. Always!

This is my living room. I adore pink. Actually, my favorite color combo is pink and yellow. That sofa is 26 years old and is still in excellent shape. The two side chairs are Ethan Allen and Thomasville. My two favorite places to buy furniture. The sofa is an Ethan Allen and it shows how beautifully their furniture is since it's the original upholstery and in 100% great shape. The red rug is a recent purchase from Overstock.com, one of my go-to places. I've never been disappointed in anything I've bought there. The pink and white stripe curtains on the window are from them and I have about 3 pairs throughout our home. It's a small house with about 1800 s.f. so we have to be creative. I accessorize with faux flowers from Michaels as I like their's the best. And, yes, my walls are pink. A delicate shade, but pink. I've made most of my pillows and the flower drapes on the window are a Cyrus Clark fabric that I paid a pretty penny to get and had to do an exhaustive search to find it. They've gone out of business but some of their fabric can still be found. I have some of their fabrics and they truly are the most gorgeous of any I've ever seen.

This side table holds a lot of things I've crafted myself. I don't do much anymore because our home is becoming overrun with it now. That little television is hooked up to our security system so we can see who comes to our door and choose whether to answer it or not. All those boxes under there have something in them. A great way to store things beautifully. I also wrap feather boas around some of my lamp shades. This is really a frou frou house. The pictures on this wall are a tribute to Susan Rios, my favorite painter I discovered in a picture gallery in San Jose, Ca. many years ago. I still buy her art to this day and hang it on my walls all over my home. I don't care at all what others think of my home. It's for me and my hubby. But I've yet found anyone who doesn't love the way it is and that includes men.

We have a dining area instead of a formal dining room as we just don't need it anymore. It serves us just fine. A woman I know in Texas has an etsy website for tutus. All kinds of tutus! I've bought 12 from her in white, pink and fuchsia. I attach them to old chairs I've found at estate sales, painted white and covered with the tutus and 2 of them with covers I've made from striped fabric I have. The chandelier I bought for $99 on line and added cute covers I decorated myself.

I also have flower pots I've placed around my house and added big chrysanthemums of different colors to each one. You can also see the Fairy Door I added to a "secret" place because fairies are secretive little creatures. Hubby made the little steps leading up to the door and I got a sample of outdoor carpet from Home Depot and glued tiny flowers on it and sprinkled fairy dust on it. The grand girls LOVE it! I tend to be a "fantastical" great grandmother.

There is a burgundy sofa table under that white cloth. I put all the things I've been given on it plus things I've made. The very bright pink things on the right are little flower knobs I found at Hobby Lobby and picked up the last 5 they had. I have no idea what I'll do with them. I don't have enough to go on a china cabinet I have but they're just adorable being displayed there or I may find  some other pretty ones to add and make it look great.

Below is a gorgeous porch party display that I found on the internet. I surf the internet for beautiful photos and I'm never disappointed.

This is another photo found that displays a crafter's fabrics. I think it's gorgeous.

Another photo of a French style home.

I have loved this kitchen for ages. If I had a dream kitchen this would be it. Lots of space, center counter, windows and a chandelier. Plus, it's white. I can do white but I think mine would maybe be pink walls and white cabinets.

A lovely little vignette in an antique store. It looks to me like a piano converted into a home office space.

Talk about a "jazzed up" bathroom! This would be fun. I love it.

This is the color of yellow I like the most. This looks like a jewel of some kind but I'm betting it's very expensive.

Here is another cute idea for a small space to display your crafting supplies.

I'm not especially fond of wood homes but this one is gorgeous. I like smaller homes though after living in a 5,000 s.f. home for 12 years.

This woman made a delightful sewing area in a tight space and it's charming.

I'm still updating my template since I royally screwed it up awhile back. I'd like a papyrus font since that's the font I love the most. So until later.
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11/10/16

This is my test blog to see just how my template is working now. It's been a long while since I've blogged and I've realized I've missed it more than I thought I would. My blog will contain photos of "eye candy" since that is what pleases me. I'll ramble some but I doubt you'll find me borrowing. Well, okay, maybe, but it's my blog and I'll ramble as I please. And sometimes, there may be a story, but there will definitely be photos of my great grand girls as they are funny, cute, lively and rarely ever boring. As I said, I'll ramble. So this is just the start.

I am SO grateful this election is over and life will return to somewhat normal for all of us. I'm just grateful it IS over. So visit often or when you can. I'm still working out the kinks in my template. I just about destroyed it, but with the help of  Michelle at shabbycreations.blogspot.com it's pretty much back to normal. She was a sweetheart to help me with it.

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I am having a LOT of trouble with my template and am having it fixed at the moment or a new one made. So it will be a few days before I can post any more. AND, since Photobucket has been down all day for maintenance and that's where my 25,000 photos are, it just isn't going to happen for a couple of days anyway.

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Random Thoughts 11/1/2016

When I started thinking about returning to blogging a couple of weeks ago I looked and looked for a document I had made several years ago with all kinds of Random Thoughts on it. If sitting, watching a movie on my iPad or driving along and a thought came into my mind I'd quickly write it down on pieces of paper in my pocket for when I had the time to come in here and type it on the list I had made of just Random Thoughts. We all have them from time to time, but with me they became crucial.

Well, I then remembered that I may have thrown it into the "Trash" on this computer. I looked for it and that's exactly what happened. But with this special feature called Time Machine I have here on this iMac it was easy. It went back about 3 years and then brought it forward. I was saved!

I am still looking for my template I had made. I've looked at all the ones I have on this Mac but I could not find the one I tweaked. Frustrated, I got away from it for a day, ate some Udderly Chocolate ice cream (delicious!) and calmed down a bit. You have NO idea how fast this mind works. It is always chattering in my head.

I have lost a cell phone in this house and never found it. I'm not a fan of cell phones in any way and it took me until about 4 years ago to get one and that's the old flip phone with bluetooth so it'll work in my car hands free. I simply love my privacy too much, plus I love land lines. In a disaster the cell towers would go down first but a land line wouldn't be such a big problem.

I also lost a sweater and a pair of sunglasses last week. We looked and looked but couldn't find either anywhere. The sunglasses weren't so essential because I have many pairs. I'm so light-sensitive I don't even go to the mailbox without them. So buying several pairs is a must. I still haven't find the glasses but sweater was wrapped around this "executive swivel chair" and neither one of us saw it for several days.

I am not a feminist and don't think I ever have been and I've been in several women's groups over the years. I don't have much sympathy for it. I've never in my life thought it was unequal. There are underpaid men as well as underpaid women. I can say that as the highest paid woman in a large Fortune 500 company in the 1980s. I was treated with the utmost respect and never felt underpaid and I KNEW men were paid more. That has never bothered me one whit. Just how much "stuff" do people need to buy to make them happy. My greatest joy has been 3 great granddaughters. There is nothing wealthier than children.

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Books and Actors

Blogging? I never got tired of it, just had to take a break when I was diagnosed with lung disease and I'll give a short story.

About 2 years ago this time of year I had a cough that just would not go away. We had our air ducts cleaned, which was several hundred dollars, bought a hepa filter, started being extra mindful of washing our dishes and even took furniture, piece by piece for a few days on each piece, from the room we occupy most on a daily basis, our family room. Kept coughing.

So one Monday I told hubby to get his coat we were going to a QuickCare not far from us and told them. They immediately wheeled me over to the hospital next door. I was rushed into the ER and fastened up to several machines. (Now, understand that except for the coughing I felt fine.) Within an hour I was up in ICU. Took a day or two for them to realize it was my lungs. Diagnosis: lung disease brought about because of acid reflux...and a very "lady like" snore. :-) It was the SNORE making the food back up into my esophagus  and go down into my lungs. I don't even remember HAVING a problem with this. But that was it. I'd be on oxygen for the rest of my life. It's never really bothered me because it could have been something far more worse. So I AM blessed. I just have to carry a little oxygen tank when I go out and I DO go out! So that's it for that. I'm still the cute, energetic, humorous, sexy (to hubby anyway) woman I was.

Okay, we got that out of the way. Let's continue with Random Thoughts and gorgeous photos. I have over 25,000 of them in Photobucket.
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Now I spend a lot of time on Netflix and Amazon Prime watching videos if I don't have a bit of cooking or cleaning to do or go out shopping or to a restaurant. Since we don't have a television and haven't for 25 years we bought 2 iPads. (I DO NOT share computers or iPads so we each have our own so as the keep this 55+ years marriage still going. I'm also an avid reader. I like the book in my hand. Love the feel and the smell. But I love mysteries most of all. I keep a list of every book I read so as to not buy one twice, which has happened.

Jeffrey Archer is by far my most favorite. I love any and all of his books. Then I like: Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, Janet Evanovich, Linda Fairstein, Vince Flynn, John Grisham, Dean Koontz, Robert Ludlum, Andy McDermott, David Morrell, James Patterson and Daniel Silva-excellent books.

Now, actors, since I've been viewing a lot of Netflix and Amazon.

Johnny Depp is by far a man born to act. He is incredible and versatile. One of the best ever! It seems to be a natural thing for him to do.

Billie Bob Thornton. He wrote, acted, directed in a movie I saw called They Call It a Slingblade. Not a biggie in the world of movies and absolutely nothing I thought I would like about it but it was marvelous.

Anthony Hopkins - anything he acts in. I just love that man's acting. He can do a King or a lowly butler and he looks like he feels comfortable in either. Tremendous!

Tim Roth has a swag and a British accent that makes me swoon, a kind of I-don't-give-a-fig what anyone thinks.
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I think this shall do it for today.