Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts

put on a happy face


What made you smile today?

Sometimes I just like to go through the pictures I have stored on my phone to see what I have sitting in there. It's like having a handy scrapbook with little bits of my life tucked away here and there.

I had a whole bunch it seems. Some sweet, some silly and others I don't even remember taking. But here are some that still make me smile.


My lovely Luna never fails to put a smile on my face. She is just a wee bit clingy and I snapped this picture of her on one of her favorite spots. This is the end of our coffee table which is right across from my computer desk. She will sit there forever sometimes, just staring at me while I click away and the minute I get up she is right behind me. Especially if my next stop happens to be the kitchen.


This ballerina hippo begged me to take her picture while I stood in a very long line at Marshalls one day. Some of her other friends were not so adorable I'm sorry to say, but this little miss was too cute to pass up. I didn't take her home but I remember texting this picture to a friend hoping it would make her giggle too. Don't you just love her pink tutu?


Here is a flashback photo from my birthday last month. I was at the grocery store bright and early, looking for the perfect pink balloon when I saw a cart full of these beautiful roses. I love this picture so much that it's actually the wallpaper on my phone right now.





One more from my birthday. Mini donut cakes from Starbucks. I remember how wonderfully yummy these looked in the case. I really wanted to try them but I was being good because we were on our way to a new cupcakery and I'm glad I saved my sweet tooth for a Pinkdelicious cupcake instead.

And finally my very favorite thing that made me smile is this quote I came across while hanging out at Facebook today....

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle...But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

I think I might frame that quote and put it somewhere I can see everyday! Maybe some place where my husband can see it too, lol.

Who, you might ask said those memorable words?




The incomparable Marilyn Monroe. Who else?


I hope you found something that made you smile today.



 

fateful encounter?


Sometimes the ickies come back. Not a dreadful  'rip my heart out' kind of icky like it was a few months ago. But a 'pull my hair out and why am I dealing with this drama again' kind of icky that still comes up every now and then. Maybe what my husband said is true. I have some sort of addiction to drama. And venom. In another life perhaps I was Cleopatra. Or at least hung out with her.


Yesterday the ickies were raging full on so I resorted to retail therapy. I popped into my local Rite Aid to pick up a bottle of nail polish. I was really loving a new Revlon color called Fashionista, a kind of muted navy I thought would be fun to go with the grape colored gown I'm wearing to a fancy event this weekend.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a woman standing to my right looking at makeup too. I was lost in my own thoughts still trying to decide on the nail polish. Do I really love Fashionista or was Impulsive less daring?

"Excuse me" she said. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

I said sure and she proceeded to tell me about how she couldn't help but notice how strong my aura was and how she could sense a lot of sadness from me. She was very polite and not pushy in the way that con artists usually are. She pleaded that I let her give me a reading. I listened to her and said I found it intriguing but that I really had no money to pay her. It's OK she said. She just felt she needed to give me a reading. Her name was Fate.


I have had readings done before. Both by people playing psychic and by some that seemed to have genuine psychic abilities. I am not gifted with this sight but I am somewhat sensitive to energy. When I meet someone who is the same way I immediately feel it in my stomach. An odd kind of fluttering like tiny moths under a glass jar. Being in a shop filled with crystals does the same thing.  Suddenly I thought I felt a moth or two zooming around inside my belly.

For as long as I can remember strangers have walked up to me determined to tell me about my aura and energy. Either I'm a magnet for this type of a scam or there are people out there who truly pick something up from me and feel compelled to let me know.

So I listened to Fate tell me about my sadness and my struggle with love and truth. She didn't give specifics of course but she basically told me how my life has been the last few years. She was good. Either a good con or a good psychic or both. I even got this strange sensation like I was speaking with a therapist.

Then she told me about the curse.

A curse she said that was put on me as a child. One that's been responsible for the sadness in my relationships. She said it was the reason I've had to struggle with my marriage. This curse needed to be removed or I would never find happiness in love.

Naturally she could remove this curse for only $160.00

What a bargain!



The odd thing was that I don't normally give this sort of thing a second thought. Could she see that I had just been through a rough patch? I didn't think I gave her any clues indicating I might be open to a reading or any sort of curse removal. I was in sweats with not one bit of my usual gypsy or witchy flair.

So I listened and something about listening and talking to her was oddly comforting. I knew I would never go for the curse removal thing but I did take her card and told her I would think about it just to be polite. In the end I gave her a few dollars for the mini reading. Maybe that was all she was after anyway.

When I thought about it later I realized it was most likely another scam and now I was out a couple of bucks. Oddly enough it didn't really bother me. At the very least it was very entertaining. She was definitely more interesting than anyone else I might run into at Rite Aid. I was also fascinated by the way she was able to talk me into getting a reading and eventually parting with my cash. I had to admit she had amazing powers of persuasion and I could use a lesson or two.





Whatever it was that drew this person to me I will never know. I was emotionaly vulnerable so maybe she sensed that or maybe she just happened to get lucky with me. It sort of surprised me that I didn't feel too bad about falling for it so easily. What Fate didn't realize was that she was actually giving me more than she planned.


Whether she meant to or not this very determined Rite Aid  'psychic' pushed me out of my icky mood, made me smile and added a little bit of magic to my day. In a way it was exactly what I needed and to me that was worth a couple of dollars. Magic can sometimes pop up in the most unlikely place. Sometimes it finds you when you least expect it, be there just when you need it and it can happen in the most curious way.

As far as the curse goes, well I think I'll take my chances. I may have a few tricks up my witchy sleeves too.

I forgot about the nail polish all together. I ended up giving Fate the money I would have spent on it and even gained something silly to blog about. It wasn't such a bad deal over all but I still want a bottle of Fashionista.

Maybe I'll try Walgreens today.
Have a lovely magical weekend!

sweet thank you and prom memories


A super quick post to give everyone a huge thank you for the sweet birthday wishes. I finally got to try the Pinkdelicious cupcake and yes it was fabulous....so was the Lemon Pucker. I had a lovely lovely day with my hubby and a wonderful evening with both him and our son. Cupcakes and ice cream cake all night.


I have cupcake pics but my computer is having major problems and I'm just stealing a few minutes before it dies again.

What are you doing this week? I have been looking at dresses for an event we're going to at the end of the month. Being that it's also prom season I really enjoyed seeing all the sparkly, frothy and slinky prom dresses out there. So different from the ones when I went to my prom way back when.

Do you remember your prom? What's your favorite or not so favorite memory? I remember the pale lavender nail polish I got to go with the pale lavender dress for my senior prom!

I'd love to hear yours. Have a beautiful week.


midnight margaritas anyone?


I wasn't really sure if  I was going to do it again. I thought maybe once was enough and it was great fun while it lasted. But lately I started getting emails. Some of  you really thought it would be fun to have another one this year. And I have to admit that the cooler weather we had last week really put me in an Autumn-y mood.


Then my friend and fellow Practical Magic fanatic pretty much twisted my arm and convinced me to just go for it again :)

And that was really all I needed.


I couldn't resist the call of that blender and the echoes of the Owens women's laughter as they did another turn around that table in that drool worthy kitchen.

So if  you click on the new button up there on the sidebar
I have a little surprise for you!


happy 4th

Happy 4th of July!

I thought I would share my Teddy Bears Picnic
pics again from last year.













Have a great weekend!

friday e coupons and fun faerie wands

Happy Friday again! The days go by just like that, don't they? Just a quickie post to share some stuff. I was at a Michaels store recently and saw that they're finally taking mobile coupons. Yay!! It's about time. So if your phone allows you to access your email and you signed up to receive their coupons, you won't have to print them out anymore. Save your ink for more important stuff....like printing faeries and butterflies!

And speaking of faeries....

I'm really excited about Wendy's Spring Wand Swap at Bliss Angels. I think all the spots are filled up so you might want to check if you're still interested. I love wands...all sorts of them. I've made several Harry Potter ones for my son but faerie wands are so much more fun.

In fact, while I was wandering around Michaels looking for wand ideas, I saw this.
,

They had a whole rack of these ready made wands!
Cute, but I envision something a little grander for my swap partner!


Love the colors in this Sugar Plum Fairy costume but that wand is a little on the skimpy side. Or maybe it's just me and my more is more motto, lol.



I made this vintage Halloween wand last year for the Queen of Wonderland herself,



Anyway, I'll be thinking about wands and glue and glitter this weekend.
I hope your weekend is also sparkly and fabulous.



awwww....

How adorable is this? Olympic Figure Skating Champion Kristi Yamaguchi is currently making the rounds to promote her new childrens book.




From Kristi Yamaguchi's website:

Poppy the Pig has big dreams—lots of them!

But following her dreams isn’t always easy, and whenever Poppy thinks it might be time to give up, her family reminds her to "Dream Big!" While on a "pig's day out," she has so much fun ice skating that she doesn't even notice those around her who think pigs can't skate…and without even knowing it, she achieves her dream while doing something she loves!

In this funny and inspiring tale that's perfect for a family read-aloud, Poppy realizes she can succeed at anything as long as she believes in herself and has fun doing it!

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Dream Big Little Pig will go to support the Always Dream Foundation and its early childhood literacy initiative.


blooms and parasols


Good morning. Does your calendar still say February? Yup, mine too. But I know it's already March in some parts of the world and I really really couldn't wait anymore. Soooo Happy March!



We have had tons of rain and this weekend was a colder than usual February for us, but the sun also came out to play. The other day I saw bright yellow jonquils growing along the side of the road while I was driving around. First sign of the coming new season.

Change is good :)



All around my neighborhood the plum trees are starting to bloom and when I went to check on mine this morning I found it covered with pretty pink blossoms.



Just like my favorite leaves in Fall, these sweet blooms come and go much too fast. So I wanted to enjoy as much of it as I can. I love that this is the time of year Mother Nature puts on one of her amazing shows.



You see March is also my birthday month and it happens just as everything around me fills with candy colored blooms, from pale pastels to happy vibrant hues. And not just outdoors but in all the shops that are filling their shelves with Spring and Easter goodies.



Last week I found this parasol and HAD to have it. I loooove umbrellas (maybe it's because they look like mini tents!). Ever since I can remember, I couldn't wait for the first rainy day so I could walk around in my rain boots under my favorite one.

In some countries women use umbrellas for both sun and rain and I really wish more people would here. I guess most of California is too sun obsessed to want to carry one around on a sunny day. Where is the fun in that I ask?



Well I'm taking my pretty pink parasol out on my birthday and no matter what the weather is like I'm going to use it. I am a true believer in celebrating each and everyone of our birthdays. No matter how many you've had. And if you have been blessed with many already, it's the best reason to celebrate even more. So you can be sure that whatever I have planned for mine also includes a sweet triple frosted cupcake treat!

 I'll tell you a not-so-secret secret too. This year my birthday falls on Mardi Gras. Oh how I dreamed and schemed all year to find a way to be in New Orleans to celebrate but alas, I will have to bring New Orleans to me.

 So you see why I had to treat myself to a new birthday parasol. I might not make it to the Mardi Gras parade but I can dance with my parasol to great jazzy music, cook up a batch of powdery beignets and stroll by the Cafe New Orleans
right here in my very own hometown.


Happy Almost March Monday


I'll be back very soon with my March Artful Bag and if you haven't checked on the February bags lately, go and see. My bag ladies really outdid themselves and came up with the most adorable altered purses. Thank you to everyone that played this month.


monday monday

Happy Monday! It may not be a happy Monday for those of you like my hubby who had to drag himself to work this morning, but I have to confess that I love the peace and quiet of Mondays after the weekend. Not just Superbowl weekend (which wasn't a big deal at our house), but any weekend.

Don't get me wrong. I love having my guys home and hanging out with them but oh, boys can be soooo much work. I think about half of my weekend is spent washing endless piles of dishes that seem to miraculously appear in the sink. Must be that Dirty Dish Ogre that keeps zapping them in there. Does he show up at your house too?

I'll spare you a shot of MY dirty dishes and show you this lovely one from Country Living.

And I have to admit that my son is much better at picking up after himself than his dad so he gets brownie points from Mom. So this morning I'm taking in a beautiful morning with just me, my Luna, a cup of hot cocoa and the blissful clicking of my keyboard. Ahhh....



I was actually surfing the web looking for a new quote to put up there with my header. I can read quotes all day (and greeting cards too). Some really inspire me, others make me scratch my head and some almost have me rolling on the floor laughing. I did find one to use but I also had to share this one which made me smile and I thought it was a great way to start my week.

"Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap."  ~Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten


I love it! Don't you think everyone would be so much happier if we could all just do this? I actually do get sleepy every afternoon and if I let myself sit down for a few minutes I end up taking a nap. So maybe that's not such a bad thing.



Well what do you guys think? Maybe this afternoon around 3ish (more like 3:30ish for me after I pick up my son) let's all pour a glass of milk and grab a couple of cookies to dunk in there. Then we'll snuggle under our favorite blankie and just for a few minutes, nap like happy kitties (and puppies), dream of catching moon glow in fancy jars while skipping in stripped socks and recharge before our next great adventure:
pondering what on earth to make for dinner!

Don't forget to check out the new February Artful Bags
or maybe play along with us today!



Happy New Week


Image sources: Cookies and milk from Google search (origin unknown). Pink blankie from pinkblanket.org. Vintage typewriter from oprah.com. Sink from countryliving.com.

time for cake


Wouldn't  it be wonderful if our computers had virtual smell?

I thought it would be fabulous to be able to smell all the wonderful sweet and savory dishes many of you share out there. Chocolate chip cookies and gingerbread would waft through the screen and the wonderful scent of a winter wreathe would slowly seep through our keyboards.


Since I can't send a cake over the internet I hope you can imagine the frosted sweet smell of the best and most delicious birthday cake ever. And I'd like you to join me in wishing my friend Marfi at Incipient Wings a happy, happy, happy birthday today! She's a talented artist, a super sweet person and a kindred soul. Now for some cake. Oh I hope we don't eat it all before Marfi gets here!

a perfectly lovely tea party

I did it! I just finished visiting everyone. Everyone that posted a comment with a tea party link and everyone on the sidebar list that had a party.  All of you are just amazing!!! I can't tell you how happy and touched I am by all the work you put into creating all of your beautiful tea parties. I enjoyed every single one of them and I thank all of you for stopping by to visit mine.

I've edited the guest list so there's a tea party link for all the names listed. I'll leave the list up until Halloween since lots of you are still making your rounds.

I know some of you created your post but didn't leave a comment on my party post. You can still leave your link in a comment on my tea party post so other partiers can find your party after I take the guest list down.  It will be a great way for next year's partiers to see what we did for our very first Tea Party Under A  Halloween Moon! Thank you so much again.

I'll be back in a bit with a Spooky Monday post and other things to share but for now here's a cute little video of one of my favorite Halloween cards. A friend sent it to me a few years ago. It's one of those sound cards and I just love it. I think it's exactly how I feel right now!




witches witches everywhere

Can you believe we're nearly halfway through October? It just goes by all too fast! There's lots of witchy magic in the air here in my little world. I'm so excited about the Halloween Party at A Fanciful Twist this Saturday. My post is almost ready and I've been rummaging through my carpet bags for my favorite pair of strippey socks.


It's witches witches everywhere! I finished up a few ATCs for my swap at The Great ATC Witch Swap. I also made holders for them which is something I started doing for all my ATCs.

When my cable and internet went out the other day I popped in a dvd of one of my favorite witchy shows. Do you remember the series The Worst Witch? It was based on the books by Jill Murphy and is believed by many to be the predecesor to Harry Potter. It's about a magical school (in an old castle) for young girls/witches. Sounds a little familiar?




The original pilot movie starred Fairuza Balk who went on to star in the movie 'The Craft'. And the series version starred a young girl named Georgina Sheridan. The series went on for several seasons and was filmed in Canada.


My favorite part was actually the set. I love the cozy look of the ageing English castle (I guess they're all ageing!) and the staff room was my favorite in particular. It was obviously a set and nothing like the grand scale that Hogwarts is in but it had a charm to it and I always thought it would be enchanting to be a teacher there. I personaly relate to Miss Bat the best. It's also been said that the Potions Mistress, Miss Hardbroom, might have been JK Rowling's inspiration for Pf. Snape.


There are loads of videos on YouTube if you search and some of the episodes are available on dvd. Here's the intro with the cute little song that I actually know by heart and will sing whilst doing a rare bit of housework every now and then.


ready for take off


I hope all of you magical lovelies had a wonderful weekend. It's been fabulous, sweet, sentimental and all together swell for us. We are getting ready to travel back home. My broom is warmed up. Luna has her flying hat on (she really is traveling with us) and we have a cooler full of delectible delights to take back home. See you in a few hours!