On My Soapbox Today

I've been down more than I've been up lately—physically, I mean. I mentioned to hubby I've been a bit slow on the uptake when we started running out of undies. He's pretty good about reminding me though. Work has been gnawing at my heels but I've pretty much resisted. Trying to keep house is a real chore but I do manage to at least change the bed linens and vacuum and mop.
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I read an article that a school, I think in NY, is paying kids $5.25 an hour to attend summer school. Now, why in the world would they do that?! We pay taxes for them to go to school and then they turn around and give them that money to attend? My thinking is they should be glad to go for free to get an education. Education is their future. What's going on with this world? The Japanese kids go to school 6 days a week for longer days than here in the U.S. and are excellent students and have become smarter than most nations. Typical school day in Japan:
8am - 4pm: Classes at school
4pm - 6pm: Clubs and sports at school
6pm - 7pm: Time for a quick dinner
7pm - 10pm: Juku classes—extra classes for entrance to University
11pm: Back at home to do homework.
After midnight: Time for 5 to 6 hours of sleep.

A lot of our kids today are lazy for the most part, but they have so much potential and are just wasting it. I love kids and want them all to succeed. It's a shame. If you don't count yourself among the them, count yourself blessed. Please, please encourage your children. They are the future of our country.

When we've gone to our children's and grand-children's graduations from high school and college, it's been the students from other countries who are the top achievers. That's a sad comment to have to post but it's been accurate. This is in California of course where there is a high percentage of ethnic groups. I wish them all well. I absolutely love seeing kids whose parents have given up much to come here and make fruitful and successful lives for themselves. My daughter-in-law was one of those people. After all, this country of ours, the U.S.A., is the greatest country on earth.

Well, I warned you I'm on my soapbox today! ;-) 
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Good morning, and yes, you are!

Darling bedroom but I would put some curtains on that window for sure. Look at that teacup floor lamp.

Any chair can be covered in this fashion every day not just celebrations.

Imagine the hours of drawing this gown must have taken the artist.

A place so private you don't need doors, just sheer curtains.

Or a private dining area so secluded.

Vintage collection of dishes in blue and pink.

An exquisite lamp.

Another exquisite one of wood that casts the shadows carved into the lamp.

I love froufrou!

A beautiful brooch.

I was thinking of this kind of sofa/settee, but I don't think we'd like sitting on it as our primary sofa.

Creative homeowner has 3 shower curtains so she can decorate with any colors she wants.

Aaaaaaah, I do love this entrance to this home.

I'll never again look at old used cake pins the same way. ;-)

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Faces

Our faces. Yep, faces. I look at faces all the time in stores and restaurants wondering what kind of person they are. I'm always smiling so I'm guessing mine shows that I'm approachable. Unless you run up to me and I don't know you then I put on a face that definitely says wary, unapproachable and definitely back off! I'm not very trusting in situations like that. I live in a relatively small city of less than 100,000. Not big by big city standards but our town is friendly, very friendly. It has a certain essence. I think it might be because there is a private Christian college here and the students are very nice and kind. They work at the fast food places and many restaurants and it shows in their countenance how kind they are.

Now, I have a friend who has a sibling and their countenances are so much different it's hard to believe they're even related. His is of a sweet almost childlike quality. He is one of the kindest people I know. His sibling, however, has a face that is hard. I don't know the sibling at all, but just guessing that person has lived a very different life from him. He's so child-like in his demeanor and his countenance it's hard to believe he's even real. But he is. Kind, considerate, loving, compassionate, wonderful husband, father and grandfather, according to his wife, and I believe it as I've seen him with all mentioned here. Just the kind of person you'd want as a friend. A leader when he needs to be and a faithful follower when the situation changes. I love this man. I believe God loves each of His children and gives us equal measure and I fall far short but I do believe we'll all be judged on our hearts someday. I certainly hope so because I need all the help I can get!

So look at the faces of people around you and while not judging, just see how they appear to you. It's an interesting game to play. We can guess all we want, but the true measure of a person is what is in their heart. And we have no way of knowing that. I try my best not to judge and I fall far short of my expectations. Sigh.
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For all you lovers of french things, I present you with this. ;-)

And for all you lovers of small cottages, this is your beauty today.

For all you lovers of frou-frou, ME, I posted this photo. Ribbons, bows, lace, trinkets and crystals.

Cute ideas for your house, yard or tree.

This is fabric in frames. What better and cheaper way to add pizzazz to your home?

A quiet respite for you with hyacinths and their lovely fragrance.

Do many houses here in the U.S. have only a two digit number? I wonder.

I thought at first this was cheese but I'm not so sure now.

A magnificent two-story room for you lovers of big houses. The window cleaning alone would deter me from buying it. But it is gorgeous with that view.

This is probably more to my liking.

I have a ladder and we tried to do this with it but it was too short for our corner tub. I'll figure out something for it though. I need room for my books when I'm doing a soak.

Pretty display of momentos.

My favorite kind of door—french—and sheer curtains for its windows.

Easy idea for a party or just to pizzazz up a room you like to be in.

Tiny but cute.

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A chore: there is nothing to it but to do it.
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The Gifted Line

In the early 1980s I fell in love with another man. His name was John Grossman. His photo is below. He's an artist who, along with his wife, created The Gifted Line of ephemera. At that time he lived in Sausalito, California, which was just north of us above San Francisco and a lovely place to visit. Very artsy and expensive area. Beautiful however. He is now about 80 years old and resides in Tucson, Arizona.

This is some wrapping paper I purchased over 25 years ago. I have one whole roll left but cannot bring myself to use it. It is pretty here but seen in person it is absolutely stunning. More photos of it are below. Trying to capture it on camera is a bit difficult but I did my best.

This is a note pad he had. His note pads were gorgeous.

There are even accordion files with beautiful paper on them.

Ephemera.

Another photo of that paper.

Photo albums.

Another view.

As with Thomas Kinkade, he had plates with gorgeous ephemera on them.

Mr. Grossman.

Journals with lovely papers.

More note pads.

Plus the most gorgeous of ephemera I've ever seen.

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Laundry Rooms 4

I read recently about New York hospitals locking up the baby formula from new moms. What?! Both of my kids were raised on baby formula as I couldn't breast feed. What a crazy world it's turning into.
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I got an email from a blogger recently about the quote I had at the bottom of one of my blog posts asking if it was my quote or someone else's. I told her I paraphrased it somewhat but that is truly how I live my life: By creating beauty and order where you live and work, you will be controlling the private hours of your life. It is what I believe, how I live my life and my philosophy about life. Yes, I certainly do live my life beautifully and wish others would do the same. I cannot control some of my thoughts but I can control how long they stay in my head. I can definitely control how I live in my home and how I think about living.
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Whatever happened to watermelon plugs? I know some of you will remember them. When we would go to a grocery store or buy a watermelon at a roadside stand, the seller would cut a triangular plug into it so we could taste it. Not anymore. Ya take yer chances now. I always wondered what they did with those melons we didn't select to buy.
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We eat at Jack In The Box every Monday night. It's our salad night there. When we walk in they know exactly what to make. But recently we walked in and had to tell them we were having their Bonus Jacks at two for a dollar. Threw them all off! Funny to watch them. So the next week they looked up and asked if it was back to the usual—salads. It's pretty bad when the local JITB knows us so well they don't normally have to ask what we want.
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Hubs had to help with a funeral today. Setting up chairs and tables for the bereaved family to have a luncheon. It reminded me of some of the catch phrases to friends who've lost family members. The polite response should be: I'm sorry for your loss. You should never say Bummer; at least he's out of his misery; or I had a brother-in-law that had the same disease. Show some class, people.
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Small, elegant and red!

Love everything about this laundry. Containers, folding table, high stool to sit while folding clothes, enough storage space and trinkets to make it lovely and homey.

This vintage ironing board is so cute with its flowered cover.

Drying rack for towers and socks. Small wire basket to hold dry clothes.

Something simple like old clothes pins in a wire basket along with linen fabrics to cheer up a small space.

Got everything in a very small space here needed for wash day.

Cute storage area for sewing and washing. Lots of cabinets and light.

I like this one a lot.

And it does sparkle! Chandelier, gorgeous blue color and tiles reminiscent of french decor.

This one kind of reminds me of being in the garden with the green color and lattice doors on the upper cabinets.

Small closet just big enough for this homeowner's laundry room. NO wasted space for her.

Another laundry reminiscent of a garden with flowers, pretty paint the color of outdoors, pretty arches in the doorways and flowers on the bench and countertop.

I would love something like this. I need extra folding space other than the top of the washer and dryer. I could probably put a table top on let on the other side of my laundry room.

Eye candy for the laundry room.

Pretty fabrics stuffed into cigar boxes. Not a laundry item but I thought you'd like it.

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Linking up with Mosaic Monday
and WOW.