Just Missing Ya

I've been missing blogging something fierce, but I have to tell you it's been nice not having to take pictures every single day and think of what might be worthy of a blog since I've been doing absolutely almost NOTHING. And I mean truly not much of anything at all...except read a lot of espionage and mystery novels.

Okay. I needed some mascara recently and searched out Youtube for any recommendations. This one called Falsies caught my eye and I bought it. I have to say it really is nice. You can curl your eyelashes immediately after applying and it goes on really well.

Now, please don't go by these horrid pictures I took late in the evening because the one on the left side in the photo looks a tad bedraggled but the one on the right in the photo shows how lovely it goes on with just one application/swipe over the eyelash. I like it and will buy it again. With the way things are ever changing in the cosmetic world I'm sure there will be another one as good or probably even better soon, but this one is truly a nice one. I think the inside of the brows near my nose need plucking severely! Yuck...

This past weekend I just stayed home and really just felt very sorry for myself. Our ward was having Stake Conference (held every 6 months) and I couldn't go. My leg and back were simply too bad and in pain so that I couldn't make it. But let me go back to Friday.

I went to my doctor telling her my left hip is still hurting pretty badly and she set up some x-rays to see if maybe there is a pinched nerve or whatever might be going on. It just aches and burns constantly. Ibuprofen helps but it's a nuisance to have to live with it. But just a few days before I realized I was getting a yeast infection (you know where, so don't ask) and went to WM to pick up some OTC Miconazole. Well, while talking to her I mentioned a cold sore than the usual medication isn't fixing. During the last several years I get them 4 or 5 times a year and they are very painful, usually in the corners of my mouth. I mean I've been slathering the prescription in the corner to no avail. When I mentioned that she said, "Hmmmm, well, that could be a yeast infection in the corner." BINGO! The night before I put some Lotrimin on it just to see if that would help and the next morning (Friday) it felt a tad better. So, I had a yeast infection instead of a cold sore. (I have no clue about what causes these things, but I'm betting stress...S T R E S S...has something to do with it. So she gave me one of those Diflucan one-time pill to take and it's definitely feeling better. I'm even putting the Lotrimin on it also. I tell ya, this has been one heck of a summer and autumn for me! But some wonderful things are happening also.

Two friends who were in my eBay group but left for major health issues sent me something I received on Monday. I was in shock and so grateful for these two chicks and their thoughtfulness.

This is from Katie—a watercolor painting on card stock. Isn't it gorgeous?! I'm going to frame it and hang it somewhere in this house.

And then my sweet friend, Rhea, who has a major illness and can hardly get out of bed most of the time, sent me this little garland. I commented on her blog how darling those were and loved how she creates. (I've known her for about 6 years now and still keep in touch by phone even though she's no longer in our group.) To have received 2 packages on the same day was much more than I had ever dreamed of. I am so truly and absolutely blessed it is beyond my imagination.

I stuck it on my mantel temporarily until I decide exactly where I want to hang it. It is just precious and took some skill to do this. Rhea is very, very creative.

~*~

Random Thoughts:

I read recently on a news site that NYC is going to try banning catcalls and lewd whistles. I think that's silly to waste the government leader's time on something so frivolous. (But when has that ever stopped them!) Personally, I'd love to have as many as I can get. I should think that they have WAAAAAAY more important things to legislate than catcalls and lewd whistles. Which begs the thought: What in the heck is a lewd whistle? I want to know so I can use it next time hubby is standing in the front of the mirror shaving.
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Now, I love kids, especially little babies, but truly all kinds in general. But I gotta tell ya, chicks, I truly don't think a 3 year old can leave a message on the answering machine that can make anyone understand them. I've called people and tried deciphering some of those messages. Most times they don't tell you whose residence it is or the phone number. Most times I have no clue if I've reached the person I've wanted to talk to or not. I know this post here won't make a lick of a difference to anyone but I can hope, can't I? And then there is the silly message they leave. Why in the world would you do business with someone who leaves a silly/stupid message on an answering machine? Bottom line: identify yourself or tell them what the number is so they know they've reached the correct person.
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Indian summer is the warm days after the first frost but before the first snowfall. And the Indians harvested their squash and corn in this period.
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Churchill called it the equal sharing of misery. Margaret Thatcher said the trouble with socialism was that you eventually run out of other people's money.
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I truly do miss blogging and commenting but I can still only sit for very short periods of times at this computer. I'll never post a blog without some sort of eye candy. Until next time, my little chicks.
~*~

Pink Saturday 7/31/2010 and Only I Can Be This Stupid!

Happy Pink Saturday and thank you to Beverly of How Sweet the Sound for hosting this event. I visited with Suzanne of Shabby Chicks, Jamie at Him, Me and Our Three, and Spindle Cottage.

The subtitle to this post could also be "Shopping th' House" also. You'll see when you get to the bottom photos.

Remember these little pink things I showed you the other day? Well, I had an idea in mind that I've seen a couple of other places, probably a LOT of other places, but I've only seen them in one other blog and they were done up in tissue paper or old dress pattern paper or something like that. I decided to dye coffee filters and put them up in the living room. I almost killed myself! Love Bunny was teaching a class that day and not around so I went ahead and did it myself.

First off, I strung a couple of hundred of them on a long string of yarn. I think I'll do more soon so they'll probably show at the very end of this post. Being too lazy to go grab a ladder, I climbed onto this feather-filled sofa. (Have you ever tried to walk on a soft feather sofa? Do NOT try this at home!)
Too droopy for me so I had to tighten up the yarn. I'd forgotten how forgiving yarn is.

Then little Miss Priss here decided to stand on the arm with one foot and on the back of the sofa with the other foot. Read the last sentence above the first photo. *Wink*

One side of the yarn wrapped around one foot and the other side wrapped around the table leg below. Read the last sentence above the first photo again.

I didn't end up on the floor on my back only because my guardian angel was watching over me. Okay, so I tightened it up a bit but think I need a tighter grip on the yarn.

And no matter how red it looks to you here, I can assure you the color is definitely pink!

Okay, fast forward to the next day and here I am but with a ladder this time. I dyed more coffee filters. You'll have to trust me when I say that in the house you can see very, very little difference in the new ones I dyed last night and put up on the left. I have no idea why they look red in this photograph. But I did, however, spend the evening dyeing about 200 more of them. After drying overnight and a bit more in the sun this morning, I hung them up.

I then went along and scrunched them with my hands, just grabbed several at a time and scrunched good and tight. I like that look much better. They don't look so much like a disker that the farmers around here use. ;-)
View from left.

I like the little taste of pizzazz it adds to the area.

Then after risking life and limb hanging the garland, I decided to shop the house again and switch out some pillows. These were in the family room. My rooms are ever evolving/changing. Now, remember that I have new white duck slipcovers coming! That will make a huge difference in this room I think.
I still haven't redone the coffee table. That will come soon.
I love the look of these pillows and with the new slipcovers even more so.

I've been thinking: Should I paint the lamps white? What do you chicks think? And I apologize for so many photos but I just wanted you all to see them well enough that you might want to do it somewhere in your little cottages.
~*~

I Finished the Chandelier

I received a delightful email from a blogger the other day that made me chuckle and truly just made my day.

She said that she'd seen my name and picture/logo around the blogs on comments but didn't think we'd have anything in common. Finally, she got up the nerve to come over and see what I did and was like. WOW! She then told me she loves how I write and loves my blog and photos of my home. I chuckled all the way through it because I've always said people don't know how to take me. While she was having issues with my calling others honey, sweets, chick, sweetpea, she finally decided to take a look after those sobriquets threw her off thinking I was something of a new wave beatnik. Nuuuuuu, not at all. What a sweetheart to confess she judged me wrong. I have definitely done this. I'm very opinionated, you know! I have also done the exact same thing. (As a matter of fact, one of the best friends I ever had was at first my nemesis.) She said she'll be back and that she loves my stuff and felt ashamed for judging. How generous and sweet of her to admit it even though we'll probably never meet. I think I'd found a new friend and I want to thank her profusely for giving me a glance and chance! :-)
~*~

Time gets away from me sometimes when I'm reading a good mystery. Ever happen to any of you? Well, it definitely does for me.

But anyway, while taking a break from a book recently I finally got to finish the froufrou-ing up of the white painted wrought iron chandelier.

You can still see the hot glue strands I neglected to pick off.

I used 3 different kinds of ribbon, then glued paper roses to each candle holder arm.

I have a plethora of tiny pink roses so I glued one to each candlestick. Okay, let's be realistic here—I probably won't ever light these candles. ;-)

I then put a candle wreath in the center with a rose. I may put another one or two on there also and I wrapped the top with white garland. A pink ribbon is attached to hang it from the ceiling.

It was really windy when I photographed this just as the sun was over the peak and before it set for the evening.

And this is the final result.

I really do like to get photos of it in different locations with different lighting so here are a few more. I beg forgiveness. ;-)


Okay, I added a tiny rose to each of the strands of hanging pearls and also a larger one to the wreath in the middle.


And as the saying goes: The rest is history. I looked all over this place for a spot to put it. I first thought I would hang it in the guest bathroom but that just wasn't going to work out. No matter how high I put it, it was still too low and the beads would have grazed and graced the heads of visitors. :-)

And, yes, I did bring the fancy prom dress in from the office to our bedroom. I thought it would look nice in here for a change.

And while it looks a bit crooked, it probably is. But I haven't adjusted the candles in it while up on the bed. I got off the bed backwards, and since it is so high, promptly almost fell on my bum while attempting this and it was NOT a pretty sight seeing an old lady totter backwards so to keep my balance! Trust me. I have no clue how I managed to maintain my dignity. So I'm not adjusting for a while, but it is also handmade so there's a good possibility it isn't perfect. It only adds to its charm for me that way.

And, yes again, those are my purple socks on the floor next to my side of the bed. And, yes, Love Bunny asked if it would stay here (the chandy, not my socks). I said, "Yes!". . . for a while anyway. ;-)
~*~

Sheer Rosettes For the Gazebo

I started off making little rosettes out of the sheers I bought at WM for $4.75 each, tied them with gossamer sheer pink organza ribbon over a rubber band that secured them while I tied on the ribbon. I'm going to find pretty roses that aren't too expensive to put on there also.

They look lovely hanging and blowing in the freeze. Hubs suggested little string lights and I'm going to do that along with some pretty ivy or some kind of foliage that doesn't look too cheap either if I can find some this afternoon.

A close up of the top of the sheer rosette. If you look closely you can see the hook on which I plan on hanging some candle lanterns I made out of old jars. I just have to figure out how to hang all 5 of them! Trust me, I can do it.

Here you can see the huge finial at the top. Squeeeeeeal..... I'm loving this in my back yard.

Okay, so patience isn't a virtue I've conquered yet! I went out this afternoon, found some ivy at WM and went ahead and added the faux ivy garland since hubs is not home yet for dinner. This chick is on a roll today! Found some pretty flowers but didn't have time to add them at the same time. I'm loving it even more!

Closer view of the top.

I even bought this little wind chime at Michaels at 50% off and it produces the most melodious tinkling sound.

~*~

Random Thought:

Fettucini Alfredo is macaroni and cheese for adults.

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