Naughty or Nice...

Have you ever just had one of those days that you felt as if there were an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other?

Not anything scary...but the cute cartoon versions acting as distracting temptations?

Something that can turn that smile into an inviting purr with just a small bat of the eyelashes...and a come hither finger crooked in just the right way?  All the while looking out from under your eyelashes just giving a peek to the expression in your luminous eyes...accompanied by the thought that just for today?  You may be able to get away with just about anything.

Before you then roll them at yourself, accidentally close your leg in the car door and get on with it.

I've got that mood.

Bad.

I decided rather than hit the world running with this feeling I would try to observe myself in an indulgent aunt sort of way...and celebrate this whole mood realization by donning one of my favorite tops.  The one I spied at The Lucky Brand store back when DaNece and I were traveling to visit Steven at Disneyland...simply because the shirt in question had embroidered wings down the back of it (and you know how I love to think I can fly...which may be why I spontaneously burst into tears at this weekends viewing of Avatar 3-D when the main characters flew together on their dragons, swooping together side by side catching each others eyes...I'm thinking there was more to it than just the act of flying...companionship love sharing something with a partner the feeling that I was overstimulated by 3-D glasses over my actual glasses really good special effects?) As I gently picked up the tee with the general reverence topped with curiosity reserved for all things Lucky Brand (cause you never can tell what they're going to put on their shirts) I turned the black tee over and noticed that there was also something embroidered on the collar line of the garment.  I then reached over to put it back on the stack of tops because I was expecting some sort of Peace or Love situation happening up there and I've already lived through this fashion statement a couple of times in my life and it makes me feel old and tired...but stared in wonder at the Naughty on one shoulder complimented by the Nice on the other embroidered in a tattoo sort of font...and threw it over my arm in delight.

Well then.

I had every intention to write this post about how naughty I am by not checking in here more over the last few weeks...but how nice it was that I am now...and on and on about my weekend and what I've been up to as of late...making lists and columns under the Naughty and Nice headings.

And then I had the thought, as I pulled my new to me designer jeans up up up...for the millionth time this morning, that maybe if I don't get suspenders that there will be something very naughty and not very nice happening if my pants just spontaneously fell down at some point today...

Although, that version of naughty and nice doesn't have quite the same ring to it as the flirty version that I was clutching to earlier, does it?

Cause' if my pants fall off, I'll probably fall down...and there's nothing nice about that.

Although, it would be kind of funny.

Just sayin'

Tartufi...

That would be truffles...to you and me.

(and in case you don't know Italian)

Last night found me at my friend Sean's house for what we're trying to make 30 Rock Thursdays.  I think 30 Rock is hysterical and much more so when watched with someone else in the room...and I haven't been able to find anyone to do this with in town...so I forced Sean to watch it with me, and he discovered he liked it.

So.

There you go.

After our last 30 Rock catch-up (cause we have to start at the beginning of the show) I had bigplans to start earlier and make food.  Which is exactly what we did last night.

The Menu:

*Fresh hand made Gnocchi with butter and truffles (that my father kindly sent me for Christmas from Italy) and fresh grated Parmesan cheese

* Fresh tomatoes with slices of fresh mozzarella and a basil paste

*Bread with butter and fresh garlic

*A bottle of (one of my most favorite reds) Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

It was a lovely dinner.

It's been positively years since I've made gnocchi, and it's so very easy to do, it makes me wonder why I don't do it more often?  I think I shall have to add gnocchi into my rotation...It's also been years since I've had truffles.

The thing with truffles is...they live in your taste-bud memory.

It's hard to explain exactly what truffles taste like other than saying they're like a very earthy mushroom...which is certainly saying something, as mushrooms are quite earthy to begin with.  Because of the strong flavor of truffles, it never takes very many to really compliment a meal...which is good because they're so danged expensive.

But one taste on the tongue and you instantly know why the price is set so high...

In The Grips...

...of a sinus infection and everything else that goes along with such things.

That's been a main theme this week.  There are a lot of other things happening around and about my life...but the common thread is sinus (sneeze/achoo/blow) and exhaustion (zzzzzz....)  As with any respiratory illness, it's worse in the morning when I am first out of bed, causing me to wonder if I slept at all the night before?

Oh I did.

I have the weird and detailed dreams to prove it.

My day's off have been postponed one whole day this week...and I am fantasizing about laying around resting...lightly peppered with a visit with the new baby and mama, Rozzilyn's first birthday of her teen years...and a movie date.  Other than that?

I think I may just be working on becoming one with the couch.

Pupcakes and Grief...

Well.

I realized at some point yesterday, and it may have been when I was neck deep in marking down shoes at Snap Snap...that I may not get around to checking in here and writing a post.  Really.  There were a lot of shoes to mark down...shelves to clean, spaces to be filled up and organized...

It's that time of year around here.

And I was standing here thinking, "gosh my life is boring what am I going to write about anyway?"  Which of course, it isn't in the least...there's just a million and one things that have me biting my nails and aren't necessarily worth writing about in this space.  There's only room for one person to be putting their head in their hands right now...

On my day off this last week...I jumped right out of bed got up leisurely (sinus infection in the middle of all the drama last week you know) with no real concrete plans for the day.  It was my mother's birthday, so I did have some organic chocolate pupcakes and dip to make before we all got together Sunday evening...but that's pretty easy.

Unless you run out of soy milk and totally forget to check the cake mix package before you leave the store, and then have to call someone you happen to know is coming over (in this case, Rich) Then it takes a little longer than you'd expect.  But once I had all the ingredients, they came together very quickly...and deliciously, I might add.

I also went to the Library to grab my holds, which included the third season of 30 Rock and the first season of Thirtysomething.

There seems to be a thirty theme, eh?

But, I had thought that the episodes were just perfect for a lay on the couch on a cold snowy day type of day...except that in watching Thirtysomething I realized that during the time that particular show was on the air, not only did I enjoy tuning into it every week (which is saying something because I can hardly remember when anything's on anymore) but I honestly thought that's how my life would turn out.  That I would wake up and find myself Hope to someone's Michael.

Honestly...

It hit me across the face like a leather glove thrown out for a duel.  I would have been insulted if I wasn't so shocked by the whole thing.  It's like finding a piece of a puzzle that I didn't know had fallen under the couch and had been taken captive by mutant dust-bunnies.  I mean,  Whoa.  Here's this young couple who have a family and are struggling...in a Craftsman style house...living life, blah blah blah...

I came pretty close a couple of times.  But I gave up dreams and things.  I have the house.  Just on a smaller scale.

It was like seeing a group of old friends.  Only the whole thing kind of depressed me as I found myself almost instantly comparing my life as it is now to the screen and asking, "what happened here?" and then while watching these characters move through their lives trying to figure it all out found me a little anxious...luckily I have a lot of friends who are probably rolling their eyes (as you may be) while telling me that I have a great life!  I do.  I'm just a little amazed at how much of an impact this particular show had on my life...and I've been wondering how much it's been playing itself out in my subconscious for the last 20 years or so?

I mean, surely I haven't been trying to recreate a made-up show I saw on television a million years ago and when I've fallen short (as you probably will while comparing yourself to fiction) have given myself a hard time?  Surely there hasn't been some unwritten/written script playing itself out in my head?

I mean, I'm starting to see that often, I watch TV and almost instantly try to pair myself with the character I most want to be like.  Why not just be ME and see how that goes?

Good grief.

Do you do that too?

So, there was an initial happiness followed by sadness and anxiety.  I'm not too sure if I should continue watching the rest of the season until its end...

Then again, maybe it is a little more like life and I'm just hanging in to see how it all turns out?

Open For Business...

Well.

It's officially Saturday, and I'm here at Snap Snap today.  I've actually been at Snap Snap each day during this crazy storm...bailing and using the shop vac.  Things are holding steady, and for the moment I feel like I've won the battle of the water and snow.

For now.

People are starting to thaw out and drive around the mostly wet and slightly slushy roads and come out and shop (I think people are a bit stir crazy)  I've never seen an entire town shut down with less than a foot of snow on the ground...and I actually grew up here and remember that we still got out and around during the times it snowed three feet.

(plus?  When you live within walking distance of your business...you tend to feel a bit guilty if you can't get here whenever you need to...just sayin)

Of course it didn't help local businesses that The Prescott Courier had a headline yesterday urging businesses to stay closed.

With less than a foot of snow?

I would like to urge The Prescott Courier to ask the landlords, banks, and utilities to give the business owners a break when it comes to paying this months bills.

As it was, I was able to clear up the damage from the storm very effectively, clean the floors and corners very thoroughly, reorganize shelves jewelry and things on my to-do list, redo the front window a bit...putting in a vintage sled (like a statement...hee hee),  mark down shoes and other things that needed to be dealt with...and get Snap Snap all geared up for everyone coming in on Saturday.  I figured people are going to be pretty stir crazy...

I was right.

A big thank you goes out to the sweet young barrista at  The Sacred Bean next door to Snap Snap, who was out shoveling his sidewalk earlier in anticipation of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate drinkers that will be flooding in today...he came over and shoveled my sidewalk, the one in between us that stretches the span of the parking lot...and the driveway into the parking lot out to the street.  There should be no problem in getting down here to grab a hot cuppa and shop for winter accessories at Snap Snap and onto all the other things the wonderful downtown merchants have to offer...

Come on down and join the party going on in the newly shoveled and totally open Downtown Prescott!

The Perfect Storm...

We're in the middle of it.

Apparently.

After a huge build up and me running around scoffing and wondering why everyone was freaking out...the actual storm finally hit.

At some point last night, the rain turned to snow.  I woke up to about 8 inches of snow at Foolsewoode...which was fine with me, until it turned to rain.

And then it started to rain...and while it was raining, it decided to melt the already accumulated frozen precipitation...which is when I decided to go to Snap Snap.  I really wanted to post about all of this earlier and totally intended to, and that's when I walked into the shop and noticed a whole river of water seeping along the floor...add that to the water pouring through the ceiling in the middle room and it makes for a very interesting day indeed.

One where a Mac doesn't get plugged in and a whole lot of frantic phone calls are made for help.

Lucky for me not only did Rich drop what he was doing to run to my aid...but my landlord sent a handy guy down for all of the tenants as well.

My day has consisted of a whole lot of bailing and pouring out of water containers, a lot of moving of clothing out of the way of water, filling and placing sandbags, and a lot of floor time with a shop vac and mop.

Needless to say, I am exhausted and a teeny bit stressed...and anxious about going back to work tomorrow to see what's new.

As I currently sit at the computer, I am watching the lights flicker on and off accompanied by howling 50+ mph winds.  I am getting up and lighting candles after I get done here...

Phoenix has tornado warnings, we have school closures, I-17 Northbound is closed indefinitely as of 6pm tonight, the creeks are rising...and I'm happy to say that after all the water drama at the shop today, Foolsewoode's various troughs (inside in the basement put into the concrete floors by the original builder...and outside the house put there by a woman with a hoe during a rainstorm (me) to keep the water from collecting and then seeping in the back door) are holding tough and keeping the water moving where it needs to be.

Outside.

Not to mention, someone I know rather personally (me again) may or may not have been up on their flowered kitchen step stool with their hands in the overflowing gutter by the front door (which isn't so bad when it's cold because you loose feeling in your hands pretty fast bytheway) grabbing hand fulls of debris to bail that situation out (I was already soaked through...and my cold seemed to be getting better)  Upon hearing the satisfying whoosh of water running through the gutter again...I stopped.  Now instead of tons of water overflowing out of the gutter and all over the porch...it's flowing into the flower bed...and out through the crack where the wall meets the bottom of the post (or not) and all over the porch.

LeSigh.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday...

Ohhhh...what's that?

That, my dear cat, is a Javellina!

As shot from inside the house this weekend (hence the not so great picture quality)  I don't usually go out and rile these guys up...even if it is a fun picture opportunity.  And I was a bit worried about this one, because they usually travel in packs.  But I wasn't worried enough to pop my head out the door and ask it, "...why so alone?"

So, this is my 1001th post.

I missed shouting about my 1000th post.

I'm not sure what to think about that.  I'm amazed that I found enough to say that I posted 1000 times...I hope I find more to say in the future.  I hate to say that I'm a bit nervous that I've exhausted every topic out there...

Assuming the Crash Position...

Due to some very enthusiastic weather reports...apparently we're pretty much all going to die here in Arizona.

It's been nice knowing you.

I have not myself been privy to the insane weather reports, but people have been running in and out of my life and the shop throwing their hands in the air and yelling, "Are you prepared?!?" at me for the better part of 3 days.

From what I have gathered, we need:

1.  Water
2.  Canned Foods
3.  Any and all prescription and nonprescription medications

We are receiving...

Over a four day span...

wait for it...

20 inches of some sort of precipitation.

Yeah.

No one can seem to decide on exactly which kind that would be...could be rain, could be snow...could be both at the same time.

I am not exactly sure why we need to be so prepared.  I was a little dismayed, as (and this is only if I've done my math right) I remember 20 inches being somewhat less than 2 feet.  Of anything.  I mean, I suppose if 20 inches of precipitation fell in a 24 hour period, we'd be in trouble and then that big ark I've been building will finally come in handy for something other than storing my unused material that I'm hoarding collecting saving for all the things I may do in the future.

Like making seat cushions for my ark.

I guess I'm more confused about the water and electricity situation.  I mean, if the weather gets that bad, is some town father going to make the executive decision to turn the water and electricity off?

I ran out with the masses and got 2 gallons of water myself, and figure if worse comes to worse and I run out of clean water, that I will stand in the front yard with a funnel in my mouth and point my face towards the sky.

I had to also had to restrain someone who was running around muttering about canned goods under her breath to ask the simple question, "Um.  If we loose electricity, how exactly are you going to cook your food?"  Panic stricken she managed to wrench herself away from me and run to the nearest outdoors store...muttering about gas cook stoves the whole way.

Intrigued, I checked the weather forecast for today and was confronted with a picture of a giant white question mark where a picture of a sun or clouds or snowflakes would be.  I wasn't even aware that a question mark was a weather forecast.

I'll tell you what.  A question mark is not a very informative weather forecast.  I mean, I can look out my window and shrug my shoulders and be none the wiser.

It did start to sleet, drizzle, and snow today...and as I was driving away from Foolsewoode, I thought maybe I should put something out to catch the moisture to see how much we'll get...but the only thing I could think of was a slightly used cat box.

I'll just have to rely on looking out the window all day and for the rest of the week...or the question mark on Weatherbug...

Fabio Makes Me Yanni...

Just call me yawny-yawnerson...which is not to be confused with Yanni, that dude who plays the pan flute.  Or is Yanni the guy who has really long hair and poses for romance novels that all women are supposed to fall in love with upon first sight?

Oh wait.

That's Fabio isn't it?

I need to take this time to point out that I don't think he's all that hot though...I don't like his long wavy hair, it looks greasy and like it needs to be put up...or cut.  ick.  Really.  And what is it that he use to always say in that supposed sexy accent?

"For your eyes only...."

Yeah...but on him with his shirtless body and greasy hair blowing all around, it just sounded smarmy.

Oh wait.

Upon further research, I have discovered that Fabio is one genuine Italian boy.  So that accent that I thought was smarmy is actually authentic.  Well, it's nice to know I'm so judgmental about someones origins, and have been since I was a teenager (although, that's not too surprising as teenagers are usually pretty judgmental as a whole...)  and upon further inspection, perhaps he's not all that bad looking.  I'm thinking that since I was a teenager and apt to rebel (as well as be judgmental) during his stint on the cover of romance novels (and I was way more into guys that had hairstyles and possibly wore make-up...what?  It was the 80s...) perhaps I haven't given Fabio a fair shake.

But really.

That's not really what I wanted to talk about today.

I also didn't want to talk about Yanni.

(or his creepy mustache)

(oh, and he's a pan flute player)

(and if he's indeed Coming Alive!  I'm a bit worried that Yanni is a zombie...and really?  If you were a zombie, Yanni would be a great name!)

But, for the life of me I can't remember where I was going with this.

Oh yeah...yawn.

 I'm tired.

Really tired.

I'd like to blame staying out late at my friend Sean's house while I introduced him to 30 Rock, and then talking to Claudine when I got home...but I think it's more than that.  I feel like when I lay down and fall asleep...every time I move I wake up.  Which was fine 2 weeks ago, but continuing to perform such nighttime antics tends to take its toll after a while.  I thought I kind of had a handle on it, but after I spelled things wrong several times in posts I've made this week...along with using words I didn't mean to, I think I'm not doing as well as I thought.

People keep asking me if I'm not restful because I'm thinking or worried about something?  Sure.  I usually am.  But it's not the mind chatter keeping me up...because I usually wake up and then fall right back asleep without giving myself the third degree or wringing my hands.

I am seriously considering giving myself an all weekend pass to PJ Land...which means I'll just PJ it and fall asleep whenever I feel like it...which probably means I'm going to have to carry around my Flanket in case I hit the kitchen floor.

And work on taking some herbal sleep remedies...because just laying down and hoping that I get a good nights sleep is not working, and I don't want to get to the point where I dread going to bed every night.

Of course now that I have both Yanni and Fabio on the brain, I'm wondering if restful sleep will happen at all.

Sweet Dreams all...

Mostly Wordless Wednesday...

Starting the morning off with purprises!

Which I think, is a lovely way to start any morning off...

Although, I knew they were coming...The first being Apple's Magic Mouse (which I got for Rich as a gift, and then he fell in love with it so very deeply, he returned the favor at Christmas.  Unfortunately, everyone else in the known universe was also buying them for Christmas...and it just got here!  I guess it was the hot toy for the season?)  And a total bonus...which was only introduced to me as, "You're never going to believe what I got you!  It's a purprise!  AND it's better than the Magic Mouse...which finally came in today...Seriously."

A knitted sock monkey bookmark.

I know!

Can you stand it?!

I've been having interesting times in certain areas of my life...and the bookmark was a surefire way to get me to smile.

The little things in life are really big...

You know?

Hey Lady...Your Age is Showing...

I was lucky enough to be contacted by Ms. Dina this weekend by phone...who was, rather agitated by the state of making a decision about new glasses.  And since I was just sitting all wrapped up in my Flanket on the couch watching Will and Grace...I hopped up and went to her house so we could venture out and be glasses fashionistas.

Upon arriving at her sweet love nest humble abode cottage...I was greeted by shopping bags full of fashion and one lady who was sure she was unable to make a decision about anything that day, good bad or otherwise.  Bringing only my sense of style...and no emergency chocolate, we set to work going through her shwag.

Which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of cutie!  Then again, Ms. Dina is a whole lot of cutie herself, and I have hardly ever seen her not dress that way.   The girl just plain oozes fashion, and there's not a week that goes by when I'm not greeted by something in my inbox she's sent me to see. You know when you have certain friends that you just can't wait to see what they're wearing or how they look?  She's that friend.  Actually, come to think of it...I would say most of my friends are that friend.  As it was, she needent worry about her recent finds, I liked them all.

Luckily with all the well dressed creative people that live in my life...we don't all share the same style.  Meaning that while we appreciate what each other wear...we can all pull off our own looks and are objective and non-threatened when asked our opinions...I was thinking rather smugly about this and that's when Dina pulled out the cutest plaid western dress ever!

"My mother thinks this looks like a hillbilly.."

As if.

I was stammering around while she explained that she could wear it with leggings and cowboy boots and that's when I swooned and hit the floor missing her Pomeranian Lu-Lu by mere inches as she danced around behind us begging for a treat.  And all I could think was..."NO!  I love this!" and silently wished for an outfit just like it because I was so inspired...

...and look what happened across my desk yesterday.  A whole plaid western shirt dress that I can pair with leggings and my cowboy boots and a little cardigan with lots of fluffy up by the collar.

This is when I realized that I often do this...wish for something and then it appears in my life rather suddenly and unexpectedly making me wonder why I don't wish for the winning lottery ticket.

Next time.

Oh.

And world peace.

(obviously)

Call it Quantum Physics or being psychic...manifestation?  Whatever it is, I love it when it happens...especially when it happens in my size.  And this dress was co-designed by Taylor Swift!

Oh.  Really?

Cause you're really a singer/fashion designer?

To tell you  the truth, I was a bit stymied by that one.  I mean...after reading that bit of information on the tag, I was questioning my youthfulness.  As in:  Am I too old to wear this and leave the house?

I mean...I personally pull off a lot fashion wise (mostly because I believe I can) but I don't want to be that woman.

You know the one?  Who wears mini skirts while her knees are pooling around her ankles?  Or as I like to call it in the West when shorts season is in full swing:  Honey...those shorts do not look good with those varicose veins.

Because, let's face it...there's not a lot that goes with varicose veins...and sometimes they're an unfortunate side effect of aging...or having a job where you stand a lot...or happening to turn around in a dressing room about 10 years ago only to discover a purple spot on the back of your knee and almost fainting because surely you're not old enough to have a varicose vein forheavenssake...effectively making you not wear shorts out in public while silently praising the person who has brought back both Capri pants and long plaid shorts that hit below the knee (ahem.  You know...just in case that's ever happened to you?)

I donned the dress this morning anyway...as planned, complete with leggings and boots.  Growing up in Cowboy country when you're not one isn't usually conducive to fostering the love of anything Western...but I have always been a little attracted to Vintage Western with a Kick.

Or a kitsch...whatever.

And seeing as I've gotten a lot of compliments on my outfit, I guess I can assume that no one thinks I'm trying to rise above my age with the help of Taylor Smith.

I suppose I don't have to mention what went through my head as I pulled on my black leggings created by BCBG Max Azria and Miley Cyrus.

Sigh.


And also?  I found it especially challenging this morning to find a good pose where I didn't look fat, or like I was leaning...I need a stylist.

A Little Light Reading...

I am a reader...and a small time collector of childrens books..

(What the?!  I'm gonna stop right here for a moment.  Spellcheck is telling me that "childrens" is not a word.  Either is "children's"  I am confused at exactly how you pluralize that word then...I do admit that children is a form of plural child...but how else is that sentence going to make any sense?  I am a collector of Child's books?  That doesn't sound right.  Kids books?  That sounds too crass.  I was trying to sound all sophisticated and educated for crying out loud..Although, it did come up with childminders as a suggestion.  Well.  That's close.  Good grief.  I'll take suggestions in the comments please...)

Um.

Yeah.

I collect books for kids.

...books that children read.

For kids.

For young people.

(whatever)

And I read.

Although I think we established that...

(I may not be able to write after all of this, however.)

Last week while visiting the thrift I came across this wonderful little book in the form of a 1929 First Edition of Our Gang...which was, as you may recall, later renamed The Little Rascals.  And while I am not as old as the conception of this show, ahem...this was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid.  To tell the truth, I was rather surprised that when I looked on the shelf and spied this little gem.

One of the reasons for my shock was because I had no clue that there had been books written about Our Gang from the era itself...and the other thing was that this is such an old book...it was apparently loosing its binding.  So, someone kindly taped it up with masking tape.

gulp.

Bummer.

At least it's mostly intact...but still.  The incredible amount of tape on the binding made me hesitate buying it (yeah, it was $1...feel free to throw things at my head)  I have absolutely no clue how to get the tape off, or fix the binding...but it brought back so many memories that I decided to grab it anyway...even though this book doesn't house Alfalfa or Spanky as it was a bit before their time...it is full of little biographies of each sweet character with the most enchanting pictures.

In fact, as I sit here writing this, I'm remembering so many wonderful episodes of Our Gang and The Little Rascals that influenced my childhood.  I also just remember being totally in love with that time period, even as a young child...which has more than carried over to what makes up the modern version of me.  And as for this groups adventures?  I remember being held totally spellbound in front of the TV (of course, if you talk to my mother, she'd say that we were spellbound when Laverne and Shirley was on as well...Go team TV!)  But not to worry, I never was as mischievous as Our Gang. I don't think I would have been a very popular person at my house if I would have engaged in a lot of the escapades this group did. And besides, I kind of knew at an early age I wasn't quite as bold as these kids (and I was afraid my mother would skin me alive if I attempted half of their stunts)

Let's just say it was vicarious childhood adventures...

I think all the happy childhood memories are worth $1, don't you?

Taking Off In Flight...

File under the category of A Total Surprise and Somewhat Awesome, occurring at yoga this Wednesday, when I attempted for the umpteenth million time, The Crow Pose.

When first being introduced to this pose...I remember watching my yoga instructor and thinking, "yeah.  Right." while attempting to get my hands down and feet off the ground all at the same time.  Often while taking yoga that very thought has paraded through my head...I usually give a half hearted try and then give up and sit down and watch other people in  the class try instead.

I happen to have 2 really wonderful yoga instructors...they're married to each other even, and sometimes take each others class.  After trying lots of classes and different instructors, I've discovered possibly the best thing about having a wonderful yoga instructor is the fact that they talk you through a pose...in fact, they usually talk me right into a pose and before I know it, I'm thinking to myself, "Holy Cow!  I'm doing it..."  Which more often than not makes me feel a bit wobbly and sometimes I have to unwind out of the pose all together rather than risking falling over and crushing something important.

So, in total shock and amazement, I squatted down into Garland Pose on Wednesday figuring I could at least to that much, and then put my hands down like Kevin said...found the sweet spot between my elbows and outer knees like Kevin said, squeezed my knees into my elbows like I really wanted the pose like Kevin said, and discovered I could actually lift one foot off the ground, then the other...and then both.

My instructor Kevin announced at this point that doing this pose is like flying.

I don't know about that, it was more like, "Holy Cow!  I'm doing it..." and then setting my toes back down behind me so I didn't fall forward onto my beak and break it.

Luckily both of my instructors witnessed this amazing moment.  I got a congratulations and two thumbs up...

And an insane sense of accomplishment.

I also have been wanting to attempt the Crow Pose again...in case it was a total fluke, but I am unsure of how warmed up I need to be to do an arm balance move effectively.  Until I have the chance to do this move again, I'll just sit back and watch the actual crows that fly around town...

Image Credit
(cause I can't very well take the photo myself while doing this....)

Layered...

Something to look forward to...

 When I was down in The Valley visiting Claudine for my pre-holiday celebrations, we stopped by Anthropologie.   I'm sure you could have guessed I would do such a thing...even though, I was really at the mall to do Christmas shopping.

Um.

Yeah.

Anywho...I had to stop in the store...it is right next to Sephora (though we won't mention that I entered through that shop before I walked into Sephora) and since I was right there...well.  Whatever.  I don't need to justify my stopping in (do I?)  After all, I don't go crazy when I go there...well, my eyes do, but my pocketbook has more sensibilities than that.

(even though most everything is on sale lately)

(and even though, I could buy almost anything in that store and it would fit right in here at Foolsewoode)

For instance:  Anthropologie happened to be featuring a lot of felt hats this season.  Not only do I look great in hats and love to wear them...this haircut?  It was totally made for a hat...especially a purple cloche style with a flower on the side...one side dipping down lower than the other that looks as if it was made by a real craftsman?  In the 20's?  Oh yeah...on the head it went for a trial...and with a smile a wink and a rather big sigh, off the head it went and back onto the rack.

And the purple knit 1940's style dress?  The one in my size that was on sale?  The one that is made by the company that usually makes dresses that look as if they were made specifically for my body?  I didn't even try that one on...I couldn't risk it.  However, now that I think about it, it may have matched that hat just perfectly.

Drat.

See?  It's a good thing I didn't even try it on.

Isn't it?

I did immerse myself in the sale area...and came up with a perfect compromise.  A sweet knit dress that I figured I can also wear as a long cardigan...I have been after a knit dress all season, and this one was generously marked down...so much so, that I could have bought it in both colors that were there and still have spent less on the other purple dress.  Or the hat for that matter.  We won't focus on the fact that I could have looked like a movie star.

No.

We won't.

  We will instead be very happy that the weather has turned a bit warmer this week, and with enough layers, I can finally wear my new dress out of the house.  After all, the minute I spied this dress on the rack in all of its sheer knit glory, I immediately paired it with one of my many vintage slips hanging in my closet. 

They have been practically begging to be layered with a sheer knit dress this season...

Now I just need to dig up a metallic belt and some shortie boots...

(and some extra money for that purple hat)

(and that dress)

(drat)

Horrorscope...

Every day I receive a horoscope in my email inbox...I also have an automatic updated one on my facebook page, and one on my Mac Dashboard.  I also check a monthly one on it's own site.

I like to have my bases covered.

You never know, and mostly?  They're all a bit different from each other.

Although.  Although...my horoscopes are rather um, different.

I'm an Aries.  I personally think this is the most fabulous thing to be...ask any Aries you know, they'll most likely tell you the same thing.  We're the leaders of the Astrological chart...although, some would be quick to say it's because we have to be because of the personality we have.  Fire fire fire...leadership and all that...and get out of my way, I can do it better than you!

Which isn't necessarily true.

Mostly.

I like to say that I'm never wrong...I'm just sometimes not right.

I also know, growing up with a mother who has been studying Astrology since before I was born...what goes into your natal chart is a little more in depth than reading a daily horoscope and going on your way.  Daily horoscopes are a little too generic.  Astrology is a very detailed science people.  I happen to have my natal chart in my possession...I know what my rising and my moon is, and where all my planets fall and in what houses...what I came in with and where I'm going.  And while Astrology is an involved science, it's not necessarily an exact, "...do this!  NOW!" science.  There's a lot to be left to interpretation.

But, that still doesn't stop me from trying to hedge my bets by reading my daily horoscopes...Which, as I said before, can be somewhat odd.

My Pal Amy and I use to hang out at Smiths (before it turned into Fry's) when we didn't have anything else to do on a Friday night...what?  You never hung out in a grocery store on a weekend night when you were in high school.

Oh.

Well, maybe I have bigger problems than just a wonky horoscope...

Anyway...I've been thinking a lot lately about hanging out at the grocery because one of the things we use to do was check our horoscopes in Cosmo...or Seventeen...or probably a lot of magazines.  True to form, Amy's would be some wonderful skip through the tall grasses and flowers because you're going to meet your one true love this month and make a million dollars and probably be the president and travel a lot...and mine would usually be something like: "You could have a party this month...IF you had friends.  People think you're strange and loud.  Make some bean dip anyway...you never know, at least you'll have something to eat for lunch..."  Which really went a long way to upset both the Aries in me and the teenage girl in me...causing me to give an eye roll and exasperated dramatic sigh and close said magazines and huff away from the other girl who was holding onto the magazine rack and who was most certainly doubled over in what could only be explained as hysterical laughter.

Usually I'm good at brushing them off and laughing at them, but much like the Fortune Cookie App on facebook that kept giving me really awful messages...my horoscope lately has been really strange.  Especially lately.  With Mercury in retrograde (going direct in the middle of this month...just a few more days...) I think I read in an extended horoscope earlier this month that I should put off anything important that I want the answers to until March...because it will be only then I will get the answers to that which I seek.

I am seriously wondering if I can just use this as an excuse to take a 2 month long vacation from my life, or do I have to keep showing up?  It sounds like it's going to be confusing any way...

Today's horoscope said I should lie and don't give away my secrets, although it may have been put in a nicer way, but I can totally read the underlying message.

And I'm not even sure who I'm supposed to be protecting myself from...or why?


I guess I'll find out in March.

Photo credit

Fresh Starts *or* I Can't Believe It Took Me That Long To Finish A Project...

Well...good-bye total surprise 3-day weekend and hello to the rest of it.

I thought after such a romantic and dramatic start to 2010 on the blog (that would be the photo of myself that I am totally in love with from January first and the addition of a somewhat zombie looking New Year Baby photo in the header...Really?  What was I thinking?) I decided to carry through with all the drama and fantasticness and let it spill over into my home.

Not too long ago (going on 2 years now, ahem) I noticed that the black metal clip curtain rings that hold up my curtains in the living room were kind of loosing their mojo.  More in the form of, whenever I tried to open and close my curtains (twice a day to be more specific) some of the clips would either fall off their wire and just the clips would be left on the tops of the curtains not connected to anything curtain ringish, or loose their grips on the curtains all together.

This had me scrambling up and down chairs and stretching my full short body length quite a bit trying to fix them...with all sorts of nasty thoughts going through my head about curtain clips and rings the whole time.  So, it was only natural that when I was down visiting Claudine before the holidays that I pick up 2 new sets of rings while at Ikea.

OK.

Not so natural as it was astounding that I actually remembered that I needed them (and it was only when I was standing directly in front of them or I would have never even thought of buying them at all)  It was more natural that I bought them and then put them somewhere in the house when I got home...and then stumbled upon them several more times before moving them to a place I could not possibly forget and then loosing them again...only to realize when I was looking for them on Sunday, that they were on the floor of my bedroom quite near the door way and I effectively have been tripping over them for 3 weeks.

Give or take.

So, after all the PJ Relaxing Guitar Hero competitions You'd better take down all the Christmas decorations before they get dusty New Years Day while packing away all my decorations, I decided to do something about the curtain and it's rings...because with half the clips either not working or totally disconnected, the curtains let in a lot of light...especially in the morning, when the sun rises from that direction and shoots me in the eye with its electrifying beams.

Oh.

And possibly because when I made the curtains, I lined them (so they'd be darker and they wouldn't fade...cause' I spent $200. on the fabric, and that was after it was 50% off at the fabric store) Now, You may think lining your curtains is a great idea...

Thank you.

I thought so too...

Unfortunately, due to my Aries nature...I am your go-to gal when starting something and then I mostly loose interest towards the end...or half-ass my way through to the end.  (and no, this doesn't ring through on everything in my life, only mostly creative projects.  And cleaning...definitely cleaning)  So, it was to my utter shock and horror after I lined the enormously large curtains that hang in the front widows (I had to patch two pieces of lining on each one because they were so big...which tired me out so much that I still haven't lined the other 4 curtain panels in the room, but I figure they don't mostly get direct sunlight anyway so who cares?) that the way the curtains hung meant that I most probably and definitely should have sewn up the middle of the lining on each curtain to hold them together better.  Cause' they have some serious gapping...

Which, as you can imagine, still lets in light.

A lot of light to be exact.

I decided this weekend since I was changing out the curtain rings and clips and I had to take the whole rod down anyway, that I would finally fix the lining by sewing it together up the middle (and yes, I actually thought of duct taping them at one point, but decided that the silver would seriously clash with the paint job)  So, I wrestled everything down and sewed up the middle of each lining (one the right way and one the wrong way, but who really cares?  You only see them when they're closed and if you were standing outside looking in my windows.  And would you please stop doing that?  Because it's totally freaking me out!) totally attaching the linings to to each other once and for all.

It took me longer to take the curtains down and into the studio than it did to sew them.

And don't you know that I used whatever thread was on the sewing machine because I felt so hastled about the whole ordeal (that's my excuse) even though someone's voice in my head was saying, "A job worth doing is worth doing well."  While I rolled my eyes, and said, "Hey.  At least I'm finally doing something about this...and if you don't like it, you can move out because I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not paying rent anyway..."

The thread was black, in case you were wondering.

The curtain lining is white.

After I got done, I popped the whole mess into the dryer with some smell good sheets to get off the dust and whatnot, and hung them back up.

They are perfect.

They hang beautifully, are much easier to open and close, and let almost no light in.

I wish I would have done this years ago.

How many years, you ask?

Oh.

Well.

About 8...give or take.

Fine.

Eight.

Sheesh, OK?

Now...I wonder how long it will be before I decide to sew on the green pom-pom trim that is decorating the tops of the curtains and hanging there in a rather haphazard way instead of letting the curtain ring clips do all the work?

First Day :: 2010

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream 
Till the current ends and dips his wing 
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom

-Maya Angelou

Photo taken by Dina Ponder

Art Direction and photo editing by Me 

Farewell 2009...

Well, here we are.  On a whole other Eve of a New Year.

With a full moon and Lunar Eclipse to add to the magic of leaving the old parts of yourself and your life that are no longer working for you behind...and jumping in with gusto to whatever it is that you truly desire.

I'm an Aries.

We jump in with gusto a lot.

Which is not to be confused with jumping into gumbo...which is may also be good, just in a whole different way.

I have one thing to say to 2009 as we part our ways:

Dear 2009,

You were a challenging year bringing a lot of growth.  I'm not saying that all my growth is over, but really?  Did it have to be so intense?  Maybe it did.  Maybe that's the only way I get things.  Kicking and screaming.  During this year, I was left feeling as though I was scrabbling a lot all while having no clue what the heck was going on and what was going to happen and what I was possibly supposed to do about all of it...but in the end?  I'm still here.  Still here to pick myself up, dust myself off, and live another day.

No matter how crazy things got, I found new happy surprises around a lot of corners...things I wasn't expecting in the least (and kind of wished I could have clung onto longer before the rushing rapids of your water flung me farther down shore...feeling like I was without a raft, I might add)  I pushed myself farther than I thought possible through relationships, business, emotions, and creativity.  I broke through some doors with incredible force, waltzed through others with a light step, and sat down sometimes in protest before I was picked up and forcefully moved along...and  still, I watched as other doors were gladly opened to me and then again while other doors closed while I was standing helplessly by not being able to effect them at all, and then watching the key be flung into the river of life and swirl away.

Bittersweet 2009.

Very bittersweet indeed.

But at the very end of this year, in the eleventh hour...I was once again reminded of all the magic.  Which put a smile on my face.

I know I'm fine tuning all that is me...

But seriously 2009?

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Yours truly,

Me.

I raise a glass to toast with each and every one of you...I encourage you to write all the things down that you would like to leave in the old year and burn it under the moon at midnight...and open your arms to all the magic that you will create in 2010...and jump into the Gumbo with all you've got.

And I thank each and every one of you for finding me here in this wide world and coming along on my journey...I appreciate it more than I have words to say.

Bringing Sexy Back...

I won't bore you with the details of Christmas morning and all the gifties that were flung around my mother's home (because you all knew all I really wanted was a wii...and I got that, so...)  Christmas started out with a whole different kind of promise this year though, as I found a bottle of Pure Desire lotion in my stocking...that Santa.  He's a real flirt.  I also got some red silicone cupcake molds that my mother suggested I use as a bikini top (more or less) Yes.  Christmas was shaping up this year to be interesting indeed (we are debacherous however...so this was not a surprise)  All those things got me excited that perhaps the year 2010 is holding some promise after all...

This year my grandmother joined in the Snuggie craze...as I witnessed all over the web visiting a lot of homes this season, and in our house it was no different.

It's so nice to know you can be like everyone else.

Only.

We're never really like anyone else in my family...cause my grandmother got us Flankets.  Which are kind of like Snuggies, only super big and fluffy and soft, and they have both a pouch for you to put your feet in to keep them extra warm and a whole other one on the front of the entire contraption...which I decided right then and there that I would use to stuff the cat in, and then I can carry her around like a Kangaroo.

And judging by the picture I've snagged off the net for your enjoyment, they are so much sexier than the Snuggie...if one can figure out how to wrap them around oneself like some sort of Grecian God...and waltz around the house all warm and furry...with a cat in your pouch.  I'll bet it will also look nice with my tiara...

Also?  They might be called Slanket, but I may just have misread the packaging on Christmas morning and Slanket reminds me too much of the Will and Grace Stake It episode, so I'm going with Flanket instead.

It's my blog, I can do what I want.

Plus?  Doesn't Flanket just sound so much better?

I thought so.

Anyway, I had my doubts about the whole thing, but I didn't want to make my grandmother feel bad, so I unpacked the enormous thing and proceeded to wrap it around myself...then my mother and Rozz had discovered they each got one too...but, my mother decided that because of the size of these things if she attempted to put hers on...we wouldn't all fit in the room together.  I'm here to tell you...they are warm and cozy and I could picture myself curling up on the couch reading a book without having my arms all cold.

Me:  Ohhhh...this is nice.  I think all I'm going to do from now on is slather on my Pure Desire lotion and sit on the couch in my Flanket and play with my wii. (snicker)

Mom:  Looks at me sideways and raises one of her eyebrow...Well, then you should definitely put those heart shaped cupcake things on as well...

Me:  Perhaps I should cut a hole in the pouch?  So people can't tell about the wii thing?


Rozzilyn:  Rolling her eyes, sighing, and crossing her arms like only a child in the last moments of her 12th year can do...What is she doing?!  All while picking up her hand to point her thumb in my direction...

Mom:  She's bringing sexy back...Her and Justin Timberlake!


Which immediately had me jumping off the couch and singing Sexy Back (after all, this was a New Years Resolution at one point, and I'm not sure I've been doing all that good a job)  all while shimmying around the room (we take every opportunity we can to embarrass the pre-teens...and I take every opportunity to sing Sexy Back come to think of it...really.  I'm a natural performer.)  Sort of.  These Flankets are rather cumbersome, but I got some good arm motion going...perhaps the greatest thing about the Flankets are that they're open in the back so there's lots of room to Shake the other parts of It...

As far as all the IT parts go anyway.

Maybe they should have been called Shakents...

Pal Pause...

My Pal Amy is home.

Finally.

Thank heavens

(sometimes you just have to wonder how your life goes so well at all if certain people aren't a daily part of it)

I count myself lucky to have had as many close and amazing friends over the years...and a lot of them are long term to boot.  Which means we know each others stories...and we view each other through the glasses of non-aging.

That's not to say that we're not maturing...it's just saying that sometimes when we smile, we don't notice those extra little wrinkles on each other, the ones we've earned through our sheer will to live each year...Like a couple that has been together for many years, we look through those things.  Instead we choose to exclaim, "Oh!  Look how young we look!" when we see past pictures...because surely we are still there...in our minds, with huge smiles on our faces.

That's what causes those things to happen you know.

Wrinkles.

Aging...

It's all the facial expressions.

(I think there's also something about loosing skin elasticity as you age, but I'm not a scientist...and I may have read that in Cosmo for a Botox ad...but whatever.  It's not like we have skin like elephants or anything...)

(yet)

Because of the kind of Pals Amy and I are...we had a lot of catching up to do (cause email just doesn't catch all the subtle nuances of a life)  Which was done gladly at her house in the presence of my other family, eating, drinking and being merry...and playing Cranium.

Of course.

All that smiling creating more wrinkles and the evidence of a life well led.

Christmas in Photos...

 

All shot on Christmas morning...

And then I entirely put the camera down.  What can I say?  There were more than a million picture taking opportunities...but it is hard to capture the truly magical Christmas it was for me in any way, unless you opened the little door to my heart and took a look in.

I have an idea of Christmas Magic in my head...and Christmas with her twists and turns and happy surprises did not disappoint this year...which kind of leaves one to sigh a lot all while looking out the window as visions of sugarplums dance right on by.

Somewhere in the midst of all that pixie dust there is a reel to reel film captured between still moments and joyful laughter, true conversation that takes both your breath away and suspends time, total surprises and things you didn't even put on your list for Santa because you didn't know how to ask...but for now?  They've pulled up a chair, put their feet up and are enjoying a cuppa while residing comfortably in my memory...I wish I could figure out a way to display that on the wall of my blog for you, but I would rather hold it very close to me right now instead.

For whatever this last year has brought, it's going out with a bang and a smile.

And some guitar Hero...

Cause' amongst all the magic that was this holiday season...Santa got my note and packed a wii into his sled with a new guitar.

So, I pretty much totally rock.

Now all I really need are some leather pants.

Dear Santa...

Well, here we are on yet another eve of another Christmas (am I making you feel old yet?)  It's reminding me a bit of the John Lennon song where he sings...So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
(I am taking the opportunity to leave out the, another year older, a new one just begun...just in case anyone is feeling any kind of pressure about various and sundry life things)

Well, I have hung on through another year only to put up the tree and not come one inch close to decorating it...which is why I roll my eyes every time I walk through the living room and spy the box that houses the tree decor...of which I seem to have enough to decorate a 10 foot tree by this point...but, does anyone else feel the need to snatch up vintage ornaments just in case they become sparse in some future we have yet to see?  I mean...I just grabbed a few more bags at the thrift this morning...they'd finally put them out, on Christmas Eve just in time for their 70% off sale (classic!  Giggle)  But, don't worry...I rescued them.

All that aside...this was a rather interesting year.  Full of a lot of opportunities for growth (which is a fancy way of saying that sometimes the universe has a great sense of humor and likes to kick the proverbial butt) and in the midst of all that growing there was also a lot of happy moments...little surprises and twists and turns in the road that I would have never anticipated, and there were times when I was left throwing my hands up because I just didn't quite know what was around the next corner, but I figured that I would keep on walking...because you just never do know about these things.

And, now it's time to write my annual letter to Santa and think a tiny bit ahead about appropriate New Years Resolutions (if I want to do such things this year...we've already established that the tree wasn't decorated after all) I would like to be all sorts of altruistic and ask Santa for World peace and happiness and joy...and while I do wish for those things, I am also looking for the courage to welcome in and then live my dreams with eyes wide open, and the patience to slow down and see what is around me, and the ability to change the things I can and the smile to do it with...I would also appreciate the wisdom to know when to jump and when to stop and observe (because sometimes jumping in with both feet is more disruptive than just sitting on the side and dangling those feet over the edge)

And a Wii.

Santa, I would really like a Wii for Christmas...and while you're at it, maybe guitar hero.  Please.  If you could fit that into your sack and it wouldn't be too much trouble...Because I've been good this year (mostly)

You know?

So I can sit down and have some fun!

What are you wishing for this Christmas Season?

(Photo Credit)

Wordless Wednesday...

Dreams for a peaceful Holiday Season...