Happy New Year!

I am greeting this year with sneakers and a running start.
Resolutions tend to be these vows you make just to strangle yourself.
I opt to add to my life rather than depriving myself of anything.
I am excited and will greet each day with hope.j
Best wishes!

Shawn

Multi uses of Storable's shelving!!!! oh yeah baby

Oh yeah.....we're decorating again!

Just a quick tip on creating space. Storables* has a section where you can make your own storage unit as wide and tall as you like. This one was around $130 (more or less 3 years ago) I bought it for my kitchen for workspace and storage...I loved it there.

Now my new room was large and I didn't want a dresser and a bookshelf so WAH LAH...

It holds up to 300 lbs and honey keeping it perfect can lend to my OCD side....hehe

I will be hard pressed to ever buy a dresser in my future! I had a string of pink heart lights and thought how sexy/cute it would be to have them light up the shelf like in a store...very very pretty in person.

The black and white trunks have a all black leatheresk box to match on the bottom...I put collectables (linen, scarves, slips and things with feathers...hehe) it makes a good place for the private collection! wink

Wingback!! enough said.......with a mink thrown over it of course a nod to my Grandmother.

Well enough already~ Go be creative..share and by all means Decorate out of the Box!

kisses and lashes

Start to finish....Ikea book shelf!

Here is my IKEA shelf..don't laugh my IKEA chaise,sofa and fabric.. and in the video my teacup collection and other stuff!

Lights on the shelf I found in the as-is at IKEA for 2$. In fact both sofa and chaise were in the as-is because the fabric was dirty~ IT WASHES people! lol

They are the easiest covers to wash and put back on. White furniture is easier than you think to live with when the fabric is very resistant to common oils in the skin (just no dark denim, duh!)

You have seen the chinese style sofa in the older post but now see how it sits behind the dining table and with the risers on the legs it sits perfectly for lounging while you eat (is there any other way to eat, I mean really~)

I swiveled the books for more interest and used them as pedestals to feature pics and cups.

White boxes for the dvd's and videos keep it clean and crisp! yeah yeah IKEA for the boxes.

Hope you like.. so re-arrange your shelf and have fun!

kisses and lashes

oh yes...more food!

The Great Recession has caused all of us to find ways to still enjoy little perks in life..

I am always sharing the art of making even a simple thing like breakfast special.

If nothing else you will enjoy taking your time to be creative and putting yourself first..

enjoy...muua

kisses and lashes

Sunday breakfast...yummo

Being able to cook is a true blessing, I might say a gift. So with that being said I am in bed trying to be inspired for a great Sunday breakfast.. Then I ran across this video of one of my best...
A savory beef patty,
Buttery grits
Fried over medium egg
OMG I think with some fried oniony potatoes ....huuunmmmmmmmm
Tea or coffee......yes coffee in a pretty cup ( must always dress the table)
ok folks look and get hungry... I am getting up to create magic!

Focused on the prize

Here is a peak at what homework for me looks like.

I have a mic (two of them: one to perform, one to record) near by and a monitor to work on technique.

I have a show coming up and recording so I have to be on point.... I love music,, I am music...this feeds me and I respect it enough to give my all. I will share some music in the new year so stay tuned....

Oh yeah isn't the iMac pretty? lol sorry for you PC users,, may Santa will show pitty and drop an ipod..ipad or somethin' in your sad PC stocking...lol just kidding ( not really I am a snob when it comes to computers lol)

love ya

kisses and lashes

Elegant Loveseat/Daybed

Monday I was very blessed to receive this amazing gift... it is hard to put into words what my heart felt when Melanie Kubik showed me into her spare room and said I want this to go to someone beautiful..... yes I cried.. I have always and let me capitalize it ALWAYS wanted sofa just like this....but to be given said item is literally more than I can say in this moment.. but I wanted to share a glimpse of what love looks like! I know I have a charmed life of wonderful people who choose to share life with..kids, family friends...but God gave me extra.

I bought a sofa and chaise recently and I have this with my dining table! Fancy huh.. I have to either raise the cushion or add extenders to the legs for just a few more inches..but it is a look I have seen in all my decor mags.. I just so happen to see cloth chairs I wanted to snaz up my crisp black table, so it looks like the look is all coming together!! Maybe you will be on the sofa eating one of my dishes soon!

kisses and lashes

Breakfast in Bed....luxury

When you want to treat yourself, what better way than breakfast in bed!
For some of you cooking may not be your strong suit, but careful planning and you can create
a beautiful moment without leaving home!
Collect great teacups and old napkins to make your warm cup of goodness sparkle.
Even a simple tray adorned with tasty morsels looks like English bone china! lol
I have my bed dressed in all white which gives a zen like feel with it's crispness.

I stayed at a hotel and it had simple all white linens on the bed and it was gorgeous.
I mixed the textiles (I wish you could see the detail in every layer :) )to add depth.
The stacked trunk set I have had for over 11 years and holds all kinds of girly finery!

Just start with something simple as tea in bed and build from there!

kisses and lashes

Tea Forte..a lovely way to drink tea!!!!!

One Mother's Day my oldest daughter bought me a tea set from Tea Forte
and I have been in love ever since.
The tea cup and it's lid was so dainty I knew she had created a new habit I would not soon break!
The silk triangle tea infuser just makes the experience more lady like!

The newest to my tea time is the insulated infuser for my loose tea....
omg..i love the variety pack that came with it. I now have about 5 new teas to add to my favorites list.

Please try to make even a cup of tea special.

we only have this moment...oops now its' gone.........

Ran away with the iPad!!!

So how do tell a without sounding like your bragging?
Io am crazy about this pad...oh yes i am blogging right now from a coffee shop and baby I am on cloud nine!
I thought okay, i will email and surf the net..but omg the games are addicting and the web searching is insane how fast it is.
So, if I was to tell you should you buy one..honey if you could see how jealous my bike is..loll
But i have them out together to make sure they get along!

Is my hubby a little jealous...oh yeah..the kids...think so..
They should be..I LOVE THIS THING!
..so I won't add insult to injury by adding a picture..but you can imagine my smile..yeah and as I type this on a sunny day..
Janet Jackson is singing in my ear!


Love ya..

(not as much as the iPad though)

Waffle takedown....DUN DUN DUN DUUUUN

Mothers Day '10

started out on a covert

mission to get a waffle!!

No kids in sight..

two mothers out

to satisfy themselves with

great company and

a perfect way to say

I am a cool mom!

Bread and Ink on Hawthorne

hit a home run again.

Angela (my sister from another..you know)

spoiled me with her company and treated me to

an amazing morning.

As you can see from the pic

there was carnage.

No I am not ashamed.

I join the leagues of waffle

cone sures

and counted myself to be among the elite!!

This is my second Mothers Day at the B&I

and I plan to be there in '11

with bells on!

Join Me?

kisses and lashes

Running away!

Okay..

if you know anything about me you would know

I LOVE my bike.

You won't find me pestering you

riding down crowed streets,

but on a quiet block smiling at the neighbors and

daydreaming in every large 80 year old home.

I took my dear love out and rode for an

hour and stopped at Grant park.

My intensions are to read, but

the surroundings are so electric, I was

too distracted.

The sound of the tennis balls were like a heart beat.

Then the kids squealing was like music.

The trees..grass and sounds...man oh man.

It was like being in the heart of a happy person.

No book could compare.

(plus the book was trite)

Our cities are squeezing tight and

finding quiet green space is precious...

get out and explore your city...

just don't get in my way

when you see the pink helmet coming

MOVE!

lol

kisses and lashes

Letting go

How do you let go of your child?

What a complicated and tangled duty.

I wished for her

I dreamed of her

I carried her

nursed her

changed her and my whole world

Now, I am being asked to let her go.

To live with a lives work and then open your door

and say bye...huh uh..don't want too

you may say its right but I want her, little ,

smiling at me and not seeing my shortcomings

thinking I made the sun come up.

sitting in my rocker to nurse at 2 am SHARP.

Laughing crying SCREAMING..

clutching pushing..the mother daughter

dynamic is STILL the most intricate of all the

relationships...but is deep

self observing and amazing.

If I could tell you one thing..

I never willingly want to let my babies go..

but life calls for them from day 1.

Imposing itself on my time with them.. now she is

18 and full of anticipation...

OK WORLD.. I am letting go

and you better treat her right...

love her

honor her

listen to her

see..her

please.

signed :heartbroken mother of a new woman.

Working: only for the OLD!

Okay... all I am sayin' is

here I am at the peak of my life sitting

at a desk idle, and when the buzzer rings

I escape to what light is left to then live

for 3 hours and 20 minutes.

For a moment imagine

the system was set up for us to live

our retired lives from 25-55.

Ahh you see it huh.

You graduate and work into the system for 7 years

with only a stipend to live on.

THEN

you hike, bike hell trike

everywhere.

You pay forward and you pick

where you want the 7 years of work to pay for: travel, gardening

building and so on.

During the 30 years you only have to work a week a month

to pay forward towards the lifestyle

you have created in the 7 years.

******

Imagine what mountains, discoveries and lives

you could construct while you were

young enough to do it.

Then as you glide into 55 you

REALY and TRULY have an

idea how to share a WEALTH of knowledge

and work with more passion.

1. you would live longer

2. have little to No regrets

3. raise children with EASE

I am just sayin'

there is to much life for me to discover

and time is...well

BACKWARDS.

I want to run and play more than ever and

my body says "hurry up".

Just a thought.. so jump rope while you still can

and don't put off ANYTHING!

today is all we have!

kisses and lashes

Knitting : A thinkers craft

Knitting is not for the feeble minded....(red, cause this is a warning!)

I started knitting cause I wanted to relax...................................................

...........are you done laughing yet?

I found that not only did I have to pay attention, but become a critical thinker

(I feel if our local politicians had a knitting aptitude test..well hell you get it).

But I was laid off and my new pastime can be pricy if you want a beautiful project.

so here are three of my savers:

Plastic Zip Bags!

In the pic you see the large bag (26" X 21") holds work in progress and extra

yarn and patterns. You see the pic of the grey and black crochet project..it

was made with a 10" x6mm crochet needle and in the close-up you can see it looks

like a knit stitch on one side and a pearl on the other..that was about 180 stitches.

super Easy....and then there was knitting...Ugh!

The smaller bag is perfect for keeping yarn clean and needles from getting lost

while on the go.

Next..

Wine bottle holder..now Needle holder!

I had two of these cause they were RED and girly..

bought them eons ago for cheap as decor and after giving one away (with vino ;)

I had an idea to put my burgeoning needle collection in one place.

I love it! I can put all things related in there.

Lastly..

Safety Pin/bead row markers!

Yes,, I googled and noticed they are not expensive..but I was on row 8:

SIDEBAR....

Lord if you knew how many times I ripped out stitches to get to EIGHT..

lets just say 6 attempts! ( I digress :{ )

and it was 10 at night so I thought how can I mark this MILESTONE and not forget

so this was free and accessible.

please check out Getting Purly With It blog (over to the right under my favorite blogs,clickit)

Nancy Ricci is my Diana Ross of knitting!

so I will knit on sisters and share my first true triumphs !

I am sure this will get me in to Mensa.

In the pursuit of loosing my butt, to whom I have a love hate relationship with, I have

decided that happiness isn't in the position of my butt, but the disposition of it..

Simply said, if not for my butt how would I

have carried my children on Pre-K field trips

when their feet wore out?

How would my friends know in 8th grade I

had the new pair of Jordache jeans if

I had a flat butt..huh!

And I have been in some pretty swanky places

cause my butt was invited!

I have tried to hide it, tuck it, starve it

everything but carve it.. but it won't let me go.

Maybe we belong together..heck I have gotten

used to carrying around like a backpack.

I noticed all the real people with butts and seemed to be

quite happy. To the extent of enhancing their haunches

so that they can sit in swanky places!

How could I be mad at my derriere

when the great bard Sir Mix of Lot penned

an anthem to which

Butts now and forever more are honored!

Dressing room stalker!

I am a little worried.

Every time I go to try on clothes

some fat chick is in the mirror.

Mind you, I have been looking in my

medicine cabinet mirror and I am sure

that is not ME.

It is not enough she won't leave me alone

to try on the pants I chose, but she antagonizes

me to pursue larger sizes (that cow!).

If she was friendly I would invite her to lunch and share

my fashion tips (especially since she never has on cute underwear).

She is such a bully. I rarely buy what I go in there with, but

I am coursed to black slacks and blah blah blah blouses.

All I can say is LADIES check the dressing room

before you go in... if you see a stranger in her underwear

SCREAM!

I'm just sayin'

GOODY CONSPIRACY

Why is it that everything delectable is wrapped

in the LOUDEST wrappers ever made..

Really.... how many times have you tried to

open a candy bar and felt like a speaker was announcing

"SHE'S GOT CANDY"

I mean my kids could hear the first tear..

Chips are just as bad..

And of course you want these tasty morsels

during nap times, church sermons

weight watchers meetings, and at midnight

when your husband is sound asleep.

So as I was trying to enjoy (okay sneak)

my Payday last night and I found myself spending

more time trying to figure out how to extrude this

wicked delight without waking the King.

All the while thinking "why don't they wrap the darn thing

in cotton." You know.. a little draw string baggy so moms can

enjoy a treat with out sharing with the little munchkins. Or

when the Pastor is preaching past my hunger threshold, I could

have just enough to hold me till the hallelujah chorus.

I'm just sayin'!

Yes, Scrumptious!!!

Here is two items that are indeed

SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!

Homemade chili and peach cobbler..

yes I was truly showing off and wanted my

family to know

"who's the MAMA"

I think these dishes garnered standing ovations...

if not I am truly owed.

Nothin' says lovin' like a crock pot

that has lived up to its rep and

a peach that took a dive so that I could

say "this little ole thing,

heck I just whipped it up".

I am making a mini blackberry cobbler in my new

ramekin ...

hey, a little master piece still is a Picasso!

bon appetit

Where Sock Bunnies and Kitty's come from

I saw a sock puppy on tv and wanted to make one.. so I went to my secret source

(the LIBRARY shhhhh...)

to find a book or two on the subject and pictured are a few.

I am in love with these and plan on making a few more for my grandsons

and friends!

Crafting is so peaceful and I try to change mediums to challenge myself..

needless to say I will not be showcasing my knitting anytime soon..lol

Go to your library and get a book on any craft you would like to try!

It truly is one of my new joys!