Three Generations Of Women's Hands

This post is my 1200th post. I can't believe I've blabbered that much.
*

A friend told me recently that I had beautiful hands and another friend with us agreed with her. I was stunned. I have 70 yr. old hands with brown spots. These hands had been beautiful once. Sometimes when I look at them and see the wrinkles and brown spots of age, I wonder with a start: whose hands are these? A stranger's, certainly an old woman's. Not mine, not Connie's.

But then I see my daughter's and granddaughter's and great granddaughter's tiny little hands and I see mine 30 years ago. Yes, thy have the same structure, the same coloring, except mine are now spotted with age. We use our hands in the same manner and that pleases me. Yes, our hands do look alike. Three and now four generations of hands. All of us women in the family are expressive with our hands. We all keep the nails close-cut because we're all on computers all the time, but all of us have long slender fingers. Mine aren't as slender as theirs are now but they were several years ago.

I'm just thrilled to see my progeny before I die. Many don't, but I love seeing how much we are all alike and the ways we're different. Same temperament for the most part. I wonder how we'll all fit together in the eternity. I'm only speaking of the girls now. My boys are just about all mellow, sweet and kind. We women have more spark to us. ;-) We're all definitely the alpha dogs in the family.
*


Let’s start off with some beautiful pillows. Of course, this whole room looks gorgeous though.

Same here. Just a beautiful vignette in someone’s beautiful hobby room.

Rustic meets romantic shabby. Yep, love this room!

This looks like a shop somewhere and I wish I knew where that somewhere was. ;-)

Adorable! And I’m making a set of those COOK letters and giving them away. It’ll be a couple of weeks, but I’m doing it.

Another absolutely stunning lamp I thought you’d love to see.

A bedroom I could live in, you betcha!

Simple stone cottage in the UK.

And another cottage with bright yellow shutters and red flowers surrounding it.

Looks like the owner took a fireplace and incorporated it into a headboard for a beautiful shabby look.

I still have a Pyrex bowl like the yellow one on the bottom. My mother gave it to me over 50 years ago and it was old when she gave it to me. I use it all the time. I’ll never part with it.

These are my kind of colors, especially that pink on the stucco.

A sweet entry for you. I can’t quite get the floor though. Looks like brickwork and some stone showing through where the door swings.

Somewhere in the Mediterranean. I’m guessing Greece.

Even city apartment dwellers long for gardens and a place to sit outside and eat. This has got to be one of the smallest I’ve ever seen though.

Pretty display in a kitchen.

I love the blue cabinets but the tiles would drive me nuts with my OCD. ☺

Cute display of purple flowers.

~*~

Couture #2

If you're new to reading my blog, I'd suggest you start this "Couture Series" by reading this post as to why I'm doing this.

Second round of couture. Enjoy!

~*~

Cottages, Flowers, Tutus and Jewelry

This post is a little off from what I usually post but one I think you'll enjoy.

I recently was looking for beautiful images of...well, just about anything beautiful or exotic or red or pink, you get the idea. I came upon a website that held my interest for hours. This woman had ball gowns, shoes, jewelry, scenery, vignettes, flowers or any and all kinds—just gorgeous stuff. I loved it. The colors were every color in the paint store! It was true eye candy—lush, vibrant colors, photos of all kinds. Wonderful!

I don't do a lot of fashion or couture postings because it just doesn't interest me. Jewelry is the same way. I have some jewelry and like it but I'm not a jewelry person and certainly don't lust after it. I have a huge gold band with diamonds and I lost one of the diamonds and just haven't ever had it replaced. I just don't care. I prefer other things much more than a diamond.

But these things intrigued me and I'm going to share some of them with you today. Ooooh, there are lots more to come, but be patient. I can't show you everything at once.

These lovely hollyhocks caught my eyes. I don't think I've seen any quite this pink and pretty.

A small mannequin done up in diamond jewelry, roses and PARIS.

I knew you'd want to see more English cottages also, so here is one you'll love.

Also, another small camper caught my eye. Hubs is still fixing up our pop-up tent camper. It sustained some major water damage this past winter with the heavy rains we had. I'm not urging him on to finish this project as I normally would because that would mean he'd want to go camping and it's just not going to happen this year with a problem I've having that is requiring some surgery plus the sciatica I'm experiencing. As the new readers of my blog will learn: I hate camping!!!

This photo reminds me greatly of a favorite Mexican restaurant we used to eat at in San Diego. I loved it. We'd sit outside under banana trees and eat some of the best food in the area. Reminds me of Mexico also. I love Puerto Vallarta best of all the places we've been to in Mexico.

An exquisite drop down desk with the roses I'd want on it if I had one. Beautiful.

I'd love to have one of these bags but I can't remember what they're called at the moment or even who might sell them.

A lovely ballerina outfit. Wouldn't you love to have this little stand somewhere in your home? Oooooh, I would.

Have you ever seen nails done so prettily? These are definitely a stunner. I'm sure this woman doesn't keyboard. ;-)

A ring I just had to show you. It looks huge, but gorgeous.

A pretty diamond comb for your hair.

The colors of these earrings just struck me as unusual.

The most extraordinary cuff I've seen. Magnificent.

If I could duplicate this lamp, I would. Nothing like it that I've seen.

And last but certainly not the least is this beautiful table setting and magnificent cupcake.

~*~

Couture #1

If you refer back to this post and read the first 2 paragraphs, you'll see/understand what I'm going to be doing for a while. I don't know how long I'll keep this up but as of now I have a bit over 300 photos of gorgeous couture. I'll only be posting 10 at a time. Please refer to that post as I may post text and may not. That gives you a rest from me and greatly relieves me of having to post stories or comments on any of the couture. You may, of course, comment. In fact, I appreciate comments!

My mother was a model for a brief time. She was very tall. She told me stories about some of the clothing she modeled. She would refuse to wear it if someone had tried it on and left a smell on it. Some women have a problem with underarm odor and it was left on the dresses. She simply told them she wouldn't put it on her body. So even high-end clothing can be made undesirable by an unclean body.

Now, for all of you thinking of getting into the modeling business professionally, I'd advise you to give up the tattoos. They are not allowed, according to a very reliable source, see below.

This is from a famous high-fashion photographer: 

This is for those models who either have a tattoo or want to get a small one... and being told by certain photographers how much of a no-no this is... and how much they won't get hired and that you don't have tattooed fashion models. Glamour models, you better listen to those guys who pay you for your beautiful, perfect and unblemished skin. Models with fashion aspiration... don't!

 
I am talking about small tattoos... easily concealed under clothing... or on wrists, shoulders, back of the neck, under the breast, under the side of the arm on the torso, over the pubic area, on the ankle etc.) which can be covered with special makeup. Even those small tattoos frequently encounter staunch resistance by the conservative photographer.

But first let me make a few comments with which to begin this. Yes, these are gorgeous gowns, suits and dresses. But I want you to really look at the fabric the couturiers use and the construction of the clothing. That is very, very important. Only exquisitely talented people could come up with these magnificent pieces. But this isn't fabric that you can run into your local fabric store or Joanns and pick up. No, this is very expensive fabric, designed for each item. I cannot even begin to imagine how these people do this. I just want you to be appreciative of that talent. First, the gown has to be designed; then, the fabric has to be designed and made; then the items have to be constructed. These are way beyond the budget of the average person. Only very few women could afford these. I do not begrudge anyone these fabulous gowns. If you can afford it, buy it. I'm presenting them as beautiful creations and have absolutely no envy. Just eye candy for you. :-)

*

Enjoy!

~*~