Telecommunications Laundering and Marital Communications

Remember the days when Maytag, maker of household appliances, used to have the motto of "Loneliest Repairman in Town"?  Lucky for us, they have stopped using that motto and gone on to a new campaign, all about being trustworthy, dependable, stuff like that, the exact qualities one looks for when choosing the person with whom you want to spend the rest of your life.

There are many people like me who have a hard time waking up in the morning.  My husband pops out of bed at 5:30, ready to start the day, while I am clinging to that last bit of sleep I can possibly get, managing to rouse myself somewhere about 7:30 on workdays and much, much later on the weekends. Having been like this all my life, one would think I would stay away from chores that, although not terribly difficult, require some amount of concentration.  Like laundry.  Not very long ago, like maybe last year, I put my cell phone in my bathrobe pocket and had forgotten about it.  Until I missed it a while later.  Yep, had thoroughly laundered the cell phone, including a second rinse.  Alas, after leaving it in rice for several days, I appeared to have laundered the life out of it.  So over to AT&T where they gouged me for several hundred dollars.  Some enterprising appliance manufacturer should step up to the plate and invent some sort of device that has bells and alarms that can sense when you forget to take your phone out of your pocket (or bathrobe.....).  Anybody listening?

Which brings me around to the crux of the story.  I know it is hard to fathom, but I am a woman who likes shoes, lots of shoes, and is willing to pay the price, literally and figuratively.  Recently I purchased a pair of pricey shoes with very cool zippers around the 4" heels, made of black suede, and boy, they were smoking hot. Remember above when I said I'm not a morning person?  Well, I had assembled a pile of laundry on my bedroom floor, scooped it up, and put it in the laundry.  All was well until I discovered, much to my surprise, I had washed one of my gorgeous shoes.  To boot, my husband had taken the load out of the dryer too soon and placed the damp items on top of more damp items laid out to dry.  This then led to a dress being discolored and ruined. As one can imagine, I was not happy. Well, sort of unhappy because I was able to blame my husband's improper housekeeping ways for the destruction of my dress.  Any married, engaged, cohabiting couple knows how that conversation went.

But here's the rub:  later on, maybe an hour or two as I wiped the tears from my eyes while closely inspecting the soggy shoe, I realized the source of the ruined dress was not the aforementioned laundering habits of my dearly loved husband but of my black suede shoe!!!!!

Now dear readers, do I confess to my husband that it was the little black shoe that caused the ruination of my dress, thereby violating the greatest tenet of marriage:  It is always the man's fault.  Or do I stick to my guns and support the only tenet in marriage that counts:  It's always the man's fault??

While I ponder this great dilemma and wait to hear your suggestions, check out all the fun stuff available on Esty to make laundering of all sorts of items a bit easier.


This smart little change jar is found at shoponelove.  If only this fun item were big enough to hold a cell phone.....
https://www.etsy.com/listing/162349361/keep-the-change-laundry-room-decor?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=laundry+room&ga_ref=auto11&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
This fabulous decal will brighten up any laundry room.  MyVinylDecor has an awful lot of great designs from which you can select.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/159330091/laundry-room-sign?ref=sc_2&
plkey=7c687da62a890cd2769bc3dbc48490a15384fb91%3A159330091&ga_search_query=laundry+room+decor&ga_ref=auto4&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
                                                    
                                                         

I think this is a must have for any laundry space out there.  You can find this at heavensplace.  I hope I am not the only person who launders their spouse's socks and then they become what my husband has come to call "milk carton socks" because their mate is lost forever.  Once again, my laundering standards are different from my husband's.  Hmmmm... maybe I won't tell him about the black suede shoe.



https://www.etsy.com/listing/178167156/laundry-room-decorin-brownmissing?ref=sr_gallery_16&ga_search_query=laundry+room&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery

Well, that is it for now.  After all, it's 5:00 somewhere.

My etsy store?  designbayou

You Can't Fix Stupid

Sure, the  headline says it all.  And, if all goes well, this could be a sort-of-regular posting I put up because, as some wise person said, "You can't fix Stupid."   Yes, you say, the plethora of examples out there is astounding.

I  got to thinking the other day about stupid things people do every day in life and how there should be a law against pretty most of it. Turns out, there are a lot of laws on the books in all states passed to deal with just those people.  Except the stupid people in this case happen to be the lawmakers.  But then again we all already knew this.  For what it is worth, an awful lot of the stupid laws deal with alcohol.  Go figure......

In my home state of Mississippi, it is illegal for a man to seduce a woman by lying and claiming to marry her. Uh, I fell for that line once but never again!!!!!  Or it is unlawful to shave in the center of Main Street.

In California, an enlightened state, fashion divas need to be concerned because women may not drive in a housecoat!!!  I don't see that as a potential problem because in California, no vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour.

In Wyoming, it is illegal for women to stand within five feet of a bar while drinking.  Fool me once, but isn't that the purpose of a bar, to drink within five feet of it?? Of course, this is a state where one cannot take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without a permit.

In Louisiana, where they live by the Napoleonic Code, "Fake" wrestling matches are prohibited.  Aren't they all fake???? I, just like the rest of you, would not want to live in a state that bans fake wrestling.

In my birth state of Pennsylvania, one cannot sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.  So much for my porch functioning as a multi-purpose room.... To make matters worse, you may not catch a fish with your hands, cannot use dynamite to catch a fish, and cannot catch a fish by any body part except your mouth. Pennsylvania seems very concerned with how they catch fish.

But my award for worst law is New York, where the penalty for jumping off a building is death. Need I say more??????

Well, people on Etsy take being stupid very seriously.  Here are a few examples...

Well, Ron was right. You can find this at
https://www.etsy.com/listing/202175678/you-cant-fix-stupid-ron-white-quote?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=can%27t+fix+stupid&ga_ref=auto9&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

For the hardcore, In-Your-Face crowd, we have this
                                                                              This comes from kohaku16.  We all need a handful of these.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/71462659/at-least-i-know-now-button?ref=shop_home_active_5

If you want to start your day on the right note, this says it all!!!
Of course, before I have had my first cup of Joe in the morning, I think everyone is stupid........ you can find this at HeresToJoe.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/197743487/custom-personalized-orders-welcome-15oz?ref=sr_gallery_15&ga_search_query=i%27m+not+with+stupid&ga_ref=auto11&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Well, it's 5:00 somewhere and cocktail hour is calling.  Until next time!!

My etsy store?  designbayou

Fig Newton's Haberdashery Faux Paw

No, say it aint so.  Cam Newton, quarterback of the NFL Carolina Panthers, showed up for a press conference wearing this outfit....

I was going to make the picture full sized but I didn't want to hurt anyone's eyes. I know, you are saying to yourself, Kim, the last post you did was about football. What gives?  Well, just look at the picture and ask yourself, would I go out of the house dressed like this, man or woman?

What is it with male sports celebrities who dress as if they turned out all the lights in their bedroom when they were dressing, don't own a mirror, don't follow the advice of their stylist, don't have a stylist, or whatever.  The only thing I can come up with is Cam got lost in the women's section of Nordstroms, liked what he saw and made what the retail trade calls an "impulse purchase." Now, some people may call this a "repulsive purchase." Who am I to judge?  (Okay, all right, perhaps I might be doing that just a bit but really, on what rack did he find this stuff?//)  Surely he must have asked a salesperson of indeterminate gender what they thought of the look. Well, he changed his tune this week by showing up in a bowtie and blue blazer. I ask you out there in Football America, will the real Cam Newton please stand up?  Or at least open up the latest edition of GQ? If not GQ, how about trying these Etsy retailers for something waaaaay better than a pink blazer, capri pants, and a bowtie.......

TeeDenim is a great store with fun vintage clothing for men.  I love the "Mystery" items they offer. Great for the guy who wants to be turned out well without the price tag. The clothes looked loved.
  You can find this fun offering at
https://www.etsy.com/listing/162945977/mystery-sweater-patterned-sweater?ref=shop_home_feat_2

And one must have accessories to boot. You can find this at JooJoobs, has lots of great handtooled accessories for men.                             

https://www.etsy.com/listing/160390859/mens-leather-wallet-ultra-slim?ref=shop_home_feat_3

 NoSlipSuspenders has what I think Cam truly needs, cuz if he buys the suspenders, surely the very hot woman comes with them????
https://www.etsy.com/listing/157124087/leather-suspenders-for-men?ref=sc_1&sref=sr_810a7dfbb7d006f1d3c100962fe6a0f4cfb8f8ffe8898df5b243ff55583ffec6_1411507278_14709778_man&sref2=MTU3MTI0MDg3%3AbWFu%3AMTQ3MDk3Nzg.%3AbWVucyBjbG90aGluZw..%3Ady4w%3AMTQxMTUwNzI3OA..%3AMzoxNDExNTA3Mjc4OmlQY0lSVWtFYl91REludzhqdlFnZ2lVVWROaEM6NmQ5MDY0NDZiNWNhOTc2YzdiZjZlZjc4ZTJhNTMzMmVmZmYxYzVkMzJiN2VkNGQxNGExYjgxYzk2M2RiN2Y0Mg..%3Ad7cc0f4d55171d11afa0aa64210ff844ae12249b&ga_search_query=mens+clothing&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery




                Well time to head out to someplace, because it's 5:00 someplace!!  Until next time...

My Etsy store?  designbayou

The Alphabet of Football

Yep, Fall is in the air and no matter where you live, you just cannot escape the fact that this is football season.  Whether it is high school, college, or professional, it's the time of year we get out our seasonal regalia, fire up the grill, and show up with all the team spirit we can muster for the weekend. Football is now the biggest spectator sport in the United States, the NFL now a multi billion dollar business.  NCAA football can't be far behind... with all due respect to the "amateur" athletes that comprise college football teams. We have the SEC, PAC 12, ACC, SWAC, as well as YAC, PAT, TD, YPC, FG, YPC, QB, SS, OLB, LS, and I could keep on going.

My husband is a diehard Mississippi State Bulldog fan while I root for the New Orleans Saints. Sort of a house divided but not as bad as some homes/marriages I have witnessed. As in most states, there is an awesome in-state rivalry and many people date and marry someone from the "other school." I have witnessed some really ugly stuff on weekends in those mixed marriages, many couples who cannot be in the same room when their alma maters' play one another.  I think pro fans are even worse. I make this last statement with a fair amount of certainty because I used to live in Philly.  'Nuf said.

But rivalries aside, Fall and football season can be a really fun time of the year.  The best for some people is tailgating.  In New Orleans, tailgating starts the afternoon of the day before in downtown.  No matter what the day, rain or shine, they don't care.  Perhaps it is just another excuse for partying in New Orleans, not that anyone ever needs an excuse in New Orleans to party. The sights, the sounds, the cries of laughter and recognition of someone you may not have seen in a long time permeate the atmosphere of any tailgating party.  But food always takes center stage!!!!

Ah, tailgating in America didn't really get into full swing until about 1990.  Prior to that, pregame parties were pretty much at home or in the 'hood. Nowadays, people show up with barbeque grills, sausage and peppers, Philly cheesesteaks, burgers and dogs, toasted buns, slaw, potato salad, deviled eggs, antipasti, grilling corn, you name it, it's there for the cooking and eating.  To prove my point, when I searched for "tailgating" in Etsy, no less than 11,998 results came up (seriously, try it!!!). It boggles the mind to see what lengths people go to join in the fun.  I found party invites, game day "kickasserole" plates, NFL shoes (I coveted a pair myself...),  pillow covers, blankets, underwear (really!!!), dresses, tumblers, ice scoops,  labels for plastic water bottles, aprons, outfits for toddlers, wine glasses, headbands, utensil caddies, cookies and cupcakes, and about 11, 980 more items. Below are some shops that are truly fun and unusual, neat stuff to stay in the tailgating spotlight..

Found at Sentimental Decor, you have to admire this team spirit and this great wreath!  What a fabulous Christmas gift for a Cowgirls..... er, Cowboys fan. Tamara, the owner, will do a custom request for you, too. You know you want it......

https://www.etsy.com/listing/202570660/dallas-cowboys-wreathfootball-wreathnfl?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=tailgating&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery 



Make a fashion statement .. or have your little girls make a fashion statement with this outfit.  Make it yours and the fun is endless!!
                                                                            
https://www.etsy.com/listing/119726240/football-tutu-leg-warmers-set-tailgating?ref=shop_home_feat_3
Found this prize at BornTuTu Rock.


Just to show you how seriously some people take tailgating, here is the ultimate wedding invitation...... one has to admire a woman with true team spirit.
You can find it at girlsatplay.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/82489417/bridal-shower-football-tailgate-party?ref=sr_gallery_27&ga_search_query=tailgating&ga_ref=auto2&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Well, it's 5:00 somewhere and looking at all this tailgating stuff has me all worked up to go eat and drink.  'Till next time!!

My etsy store?  designbayou

A Life Worth Living????

Yes, I have been absent for a while.  I believe some wise person once said "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans."  How true.  Well, a while back, I mused on the virtues of bacon because everything is better with bacon.  It just is, no denying that fact. Bacon adds that wonderful warmth and creaminess to whatever you are making. No self-respecting Southern woman would ever cook without bacon as the basis for most everything.

I wondered what the limits of bacon in everything just might be.  So did someone else and they even wrote a cookbook about it called... drum roll, please..  Bacon!!!!!  (James Villas author and published John Wiley and Sons)  The pictures are gorgeous, and I learned that differing countries have different types of bacon.  Who knew? There are all kinds of mouthwatering recipes using all kinds of bacon, from bacon pies, to warm salad dressings, to quiches, to an unspeakably good corn and bacon souffle, to pretty much everything.


All this being said, a medical ailment has done the impossible in my life.  I CAN NO LONGER EAT BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Seeing as I almost worship at the altar of bacon, this is quite a depressing thought. No more BLT and avocado sandwiches that are slathered in garlicky mayo, no more warm bacon salad dressing over my goat cheese and beet salad, no more chopped and sauteed bacon mixed with warm cherry tomatoes over my pasta, no more bacon wrapped meatloaf, no more pate with bacon, no more bacon pumpernickel bread, no more wild rice with bacon and oysters, no more baked beans with bacon. Guess what?  No more bacon cookies!!!!!  In the words of Lucy, the beloved character from Peanuts, ARGHH!!!!!!  Considering the active role bacon plays in my gastronomic repertoire, I must ask myself  Is this a life worth living? My doctor said I could always try turkey bacon.  Are you kidding?  Sounds almost sacrilegious. Blasphemous?  Maybe.

Well, for those who can still continue to imbibe in the world's' most tasty food, think of me when you take that first fabulous bite of whatever it is you are eating.  And have pity on those of us doomed to turkey bacon.


In the meantime, check out the cool stuff on Etsy that makes bacon all worthwhile.


This is from Lucy's Art Emporium and what better way to express one's undying love for you... or bacon??

https://www.etsy.com/listing/91433453/i-love-you-more-than-bacon-greeting-card?ref=sr_gallery_40&ga_search_query=i+love+you+more+than+bacon&ga_ref=auto6&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Or try cjsultimatefoods, a shop that looks unbelievably great.  I can smell it though my computer...


https://www.etsy.com/listing/167559600/bacon-jam-the-original-6oz?ref=shop_home_feat_1


And last but not least, you can decorate with bacon fabric.  The possibilities are endless!!!!


https://www.etsy.com/listing/125738553/realistic-food-cotton-fabric-4-options?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=bacon&ga_ref=auto2&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery


Well, until next week, it's 5:00 somewhere.

My Etsy store?  designbayou...

Everything is Better with Bacon......

  
Yes, the headline says everything.  And it's true.  I defy anyone to name something that doesn't taste better with bacon.  I actually owe this post to a young lady who tends bar at Don's Seafood Restaurant in Hammond, Louisiana.  She is an Etsy fan and showed me a picture of her unbelievably fabulous red shoes she had purchased on Etsy and wore on her wedding day.  Realizing it is impolite to drool in public, I just took note of how fabulous they were, and if by chance she reads this blog, all us shoe-loving women would like to know where you got them. 


Anyway, I ordered a wonderful dish called Jackedup Shrimp and it was true to its name, creamy cheese with plenty of jalapenos, shrimp and BACON!!!  We had nice garlic bread to dunk in it and I was in heaven, at least shrimp and bacon heaven. So that is how the conversation about bacon started.....

I did a little research on bacon and it appears that bacon might actually be good for you.  It contains niacin, a vitamin b thing that is good for your eyesight.  Wearing contacts or glasses?  Just eat more bacon and you soon will no longer be called Four Eyes.  On the flip side, there was a study of bacon done at Scripps Institute and they state bacon is actually addictive.  Well, duh.....  but there is a positive side to that.  Now you can stop using all those other addictive drugs that don't taste nearly as good and start eating bacon to get your daily fix!

Wait, there is more!!!  There is a cookbook called "Bacon," which I personally own and have given as gifts to friends.  It has some really great recipes and talks about every kind of bacon known to mankind. Keds, the maker of canvas covered shoes, now offers them in a bacon version.  You cannot know how tempted I am to buy a pair.  There are t shirts out here espousing ones' love of bacon, man candles that effuse an aroma of bacon, bacon flavored chapstick, bacon jewelry, bacon peanut brittle, bacon I-Phone case, and the list goes on.  (After penning this last line, I know how Bubba Shrimp felt when he uttered those now famous lines in Forest Gump ....).


Now, this is a digital picture of how bacon starts out, sort of pre-bacon. It can be located and downloaded, unlike bacon, right to your computer.  It's at VintageRetro Antiques.



https://www.etsy.com/listing/120049897/printable-digital-pig-graphic?ref=shop_home_active_4

This really interesting store called  BellaJacksonStudios features spoons that say it all. They brought tears to my eyes.  Men, looking for a way to get that special girl to say yes?  What girl could refuse a marriage proposal when presented with one ... or a dozen... of this such profession of love??

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99603584/recycled-silverware-hand-stamped-spoon-i?ref=sr_gallery_47&ga_search_query=i+love+you+more+than+bacon&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto6&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

And to end it all, this offering needs no introduction. Candied bacon from sinnamonsweets.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/129715746/almost-famous-candied-bacon?ref=shop_home_feat_1


My heart and arteries are singing and believe me, it doesn't get any better than this. 

Well, time to go because it's 5:00 somewhere.  Perhaps tonight I will try a bacon flavoured martini???

my shop on Etsy designbayou@etsy.com 

The Hobbit Reads My Dog Skip

As is my habit, I perused the WSJ's Mansion and Book Review section last weekend and saw an interesting article about a sale at Sotheby's featuring over 1,400 rare books about exploration. And what a treasure trove it is!!!  Such items as a catalog of tree bark, known as tapa, that was collected by Captain James Cook, the gentleman who discovered the Hawaiian Islands, and the earliest printed map of Australia, the only copy in the world not in a museum.  There is a book/story from 1882 by John Brown about six starving men afloat at sea, but one guy draws the short straw, literally, and becomes dinner for five.  There is also a book from 1718 by a British engraver who depicts a drawing of an orangutang, which closely resembles a character from Hangover 2.  Also for sale are first editions from Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh.

As I reflect upon my short lifetime and how books have expanded my horizons, I suspect many of you feel the same, whether you read them on your Kindle or are like me and prefer to have the actual thing in your hand.  No mind which, it's the adventure these tomes take us on that make the difference. If you are reading this blog (of course you are.  Who wouldn't??), you can see the shelves of books that are on the page.  Below is a picture of my home book shelves.  Pretty impressive, especially when I tell you there is another whole room that looks the same but different paint, etc.
                                                        [Insert picture here]

Oops, picture will not copy and paste, even though I have done it a thousand times before, as illustrated below.  Oh well, take it from me, it's an illness at my house.  Some people like to gamble, some like drugs, some like weird sex addictions.  We like books. Okay, truth be told, I'm a little curious about that last one... but I digress.

Books take us places, take us on adventures we could not or would not go in our lifetimes.  Remember when you were young and read Treasure Island or today kids read Harry Potter.  Maybe you read about  Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, read Willie Morris and My Dog Skip. Or Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.  Are your kids reading The Hobbit series?  I tried the Hobbit thing and had nightmares so I dispensed with that.  The characters reminded me too much of some family reunion where there are little or no branches on the family tree.  Just sayin'........

There are also "personality studies" that tell us what type of person we are by the type of books we read. For example: The Involved Reader: You don't just love to read books, you just love to read about books. You see half the fun of reading being the thrill of the chase - discovering new books and authors, discussing your finds with others.(I can't even imagine what your home library looks like.) The Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose. The Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin.(Translation:  Probably read a lot of Sidney Sheldon or Anne Rice...) The Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to all kinds of new stuff and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors. These people, how do they keep their minds organized?? I am definitely in this last catagory.  I've been asking myself that last question for a while now....

 If you have the $$$ and have a love of books, this Sotheby's sale is the sale for you.  If you love books but have no dough, there are some great options on Etsy to satiate your love of the written word.

From RosiesArmoire in the United Kingdom, here are some really beautiful antique books.  I would love them displayed in a little girl's room, or nestled in a reading nook at the top of the stairs.  The colors are so soft and comforting, just like an old book.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/158082416/vintage-french-classics-book-bundle?ref=shop_home_active_5


This incredible book comes from a fabulous store called SG Books and Maps, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.  They also offer sort of an "instant library" color coordinated, great for those just starting out and like books. https://www.etsy.com/listing/122839892/walt-whitman-leaves-of-grass-rare-1867?ref=shop_home_active_1
                                                                                                                        
                                                                        And who doesn't want this selection from WhajitsuMagikShop in Los Angeles.  Someone needs to buy this book just so we can all see what's inside.  It has all kinds stuff in it such as "The Prayers of the Lifting of the Hand, and represents the cuneiform texts of a group of Babylonian and Assyrian incantations and magical formulae edited with transliterations, translations, and full vocabulary from tablets of the Kuyunjik collections preserved in the British Museum."  I have no idea what most of that is but I sure would like to take a peek!!!


                   https://www.etsy.com/listing/124535276/occult-babylonian-magic-and-sorcery?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_query=books&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto3&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_view_type=gallery

If you are interested in what my Etsy store is like, https://www.etsy.com/shop/designbayou

Well, fun as it has been, time to go.  It's 5:00 somewhere.......

The Cadbury Bunny Meets Tutu

It's Easter time and we all bear witness to the beautiful colors of the season.  Pale pinks, purples, and yellows. Or mint green, baby blue, and pale peach enliven our homes and tell us Spring has arrived. I'm certain the followers of Martha Stewart could show us all a thing or two about being crafty and filling our homes with projects from her magazine.  BTW, I like Martha and have tremendous respect for her ability to hire really good people. I could use one or two of them on my staff.  Oh wait, I AM my staff.......

I know this is the traditional holy time of the Christian calendar, but us inventive Americans have turned it into yet another holiday for eating and socializing.  Think about it, Easter brunch featuring ham with pineapple and maraschino cherries, deviled eggs, leg of lamb with minted Spring peas, all sorts of breads, potatoes with butter and fresh spring herbs. My mouth waters just thinking about it. (I'm sure bacon is involved somehow....).  But the real action is CANDY!!!!  What better time of year to eat empty-caloric ridden foods made of chocolate and shaped like an Easter Bunny.  Don't you just love all the funky colors of pink, green, yellow, purple in those baskets filled with that plastic fluff, yellow foamy chicks, and eggs dyed in all matters of design. An ambitious friend of mine runs a really fun special in her retail store every Easter:  She has dinner napkins made up in Easter colors and ties a bag of Easter cookies to them (icing done in pale shades, of course) .  What a great hostess gift!!  I like this idea, including the sugar cookies (I have tasted them, from Clumsy Cookies...) because every time the giftee uses the napkins, they are reminded of the giftor.  I really like that last line I wrote. But think about it.  What says Easter more than ... The Cadbury Bunny!!!!!!!!!!!  Is there any other candy in the good ole' US of A that is so tied to a holiday? You say Christmas and Chocolate Santas?  Maybe. You think of Thanksgiving and chocolate turkeys?  Almost sounds nasty.  What about the Fourth of July and chocolate fireworks? Uh, no.

The more I think about this, the more suspect I am.  Just like Puxatawny Phil, the Cadbury Bunny only comes once a year but Phil has a day named after him.  Wait, a groundhog has a special day of the year named after him but not the Cadbury Bunny??  A cute little chocolate bunny is taken out by a groundhog??  This is just another example of how America is headed in the wrong direction. If Phil is so special, why no chocolate Puxatawny Phil???? I find this whole thing disturbing.

Okay, my disturbia has passed and it's time to get thinking about dressing up the home for the Spring has Sprung and Easter is Here look. There is a great array of fun and unusual items you can find on Etsy these days:

BeatrixBows is killing it out there with this unbelievably creative Easter basket.  It's a tutu!!!!  What girl of any age would not be thrilled to get one of these?  One can fit a whole lot of chocolate bunnies and yellow chicks in it.  If you are a girly-girl and like pink, this is the store for you.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/93347135/large-tutu-easter-baskets-in-your-choice?ref=shop_home_active_1


And then there can be nothing else like this lovely Easter nest from Timewashed.  Becky, the owner, does a superb job in making a lot of absolutely stunning pieces.  In her own words: "I love changing things up from the traditional holiday fare."  We love it too, Miss Becky!!!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/183475566/easter-decor-nest?ref=shop_home_active_6

                                                                                    


Or this beautiful wreath could grace your front door.  I love the simple, fresh colors that make one want to stand still and feel the Spring breeze on your face. Lenore at Designawreath really has some wonderful and unique items to check out.


Here is the link for this wonderful piece https://www.etsy.com/listing/126403034/easter-wreaths-spring-wreath-easter-egg?ref=shop_home_feat_1

I want all of them in my house, just in time for a wonderful Easter holiday.  We will be feasting on Easter ham, Spring peas and ... what else... chocolate bunnies!!

Well, until next time.  It's 5:00 somewhere.......

Bugged by Carmine

Red, the color with which everyone has one of those love/hate relationships.  The Chinese love it; they lacquer everything in red. The Soviets have Red Square; in Russian, "red" is the word for beautiful.  The Japanese have a red sun on their flag.  Italians have red sauce for pasta.  The French have red wine.  There is even a song about the color red, "Red Red Wine," although I'm thinking the song might actually be about my favorite beverage.  America has .... well, what do we have?  And what is the deal with red??

A book recently came out all about color.  It's a beautiful book written by Joann and Arielle Echstut called the Secret Language of Color, and of course, every chapter deals with an individual color. I am planning on buying it and displaying it with the other 576 books I have on my coffee table about home décor. But red seems to have its own special category.  For example, the majority of flags in the world contain red.  Or red is the international color for stop.  Red is the color of good luck; that's why a roulette wheel has red slots on it.  Brides in India and Japan wear red wedding dresses. But best of all, red is one of the top two colors for ALL people.  What's not to like???  (BTW, most of this paragraph is one big Useless Factoid of the Week....)

Then why is there this perception that red is a bad color for our homes???  Maybe if you are one of those people when you were young that had furniture upholstered in a red damask fabric, kept clean from your sweaty little hands and the pets' dirty paws by lovely slipcovers made of clear plastic, then red might not be your favorite upholstery color. Maybe you live in a place that has vampires and you are adverse to that neck-biting, blood sucking thing they do?  Maybe you read Anne Rice books late at night?? Or have you seen too many Freddie Kruger movies??  Maybe you drank that Starbucks coffee that had carmine in it and were repulsed that you were actually drinking the proverbial "bug juice"??

Yep, that stuff in most anything and most everything red is made from a bug called Dactylopius coccus, a dweller of the prickly pear cactus.  Its technical name is cochineal.  It's found in meat, sausages, and red marinade, fruit preparations, jams, gelatin desserts, juice beverages, non-carbonated soft-drinks, baked goods, confections, icings, toppings and dairy products. The Aztecs were the first to harvest it.  Then the Spanish, after coming over and giving the native peoples a bunch of nasty diseases, figured out how to export it and many a fortune was made from drying and mashing up these little bugs.  And of course, with the way Mom Nature does stuff, they only use female bugs.  If you are feeling sorry for the bugs, think about this:  all the other red dyes are pretty much carcinogenic.  I'm sticking with the bugs.


You cannot know how much I really want to post here a wonderful little red pillow for everyone to see that I have for sale in my Esty store.  But this blog is not about me... oh wait, it is MY blog... so here are a few fun red hot items for your home.

Believe it or not, this is a photograph of a red vase.  I love the gerbera daisies in it.  And you can't beat the name of the company... at least if you are a woman... LipstickGraphics.  Photographer Peter Gravina has some great black and white if you are interested in that as well.  Here is the link https://www.etsy.com/listing/126465425/red-gerber-daisies-in-red-vase-color?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=red+vase&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto2&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery








If you really like red and want folks to be wowed in your entrance way, check out this wonderful console table from the WoodWork Man, Phillip Bennett.  He has a lot of what one would call Shabby Chic pieces.  Great looking workmanship.

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/93051329/console-table-handcrafted-shabby-red?ref=shop_home_active_13


And last but not least, something fun from Hammock Boutique is this red hammock chair.  This is such great summertime fun!!  The shop also uses indigenous Mayan women to weave their products.https://www.etsy.com/listing/179905891/red-chair-hammock-with-tassels-handwoven?ref=shop_home_feat_1

Well, pretty soon I will be seeing red if I don't get to cocktail hour.  It's 5:00 somewhere.......

Miss Manners Advises on a Pie Wedding

Miss Manners, the woman in America who can so genteelly tell you that you are an exacting, golddigging, ignorant human being and make you so glad she told you.  You did not know what a shallow person you really were.  People of all ages, both sexes, and all different walks of life read her column.  I always like the ones about child rearing and the worst ones have to be questions about wedding etiquette.  For example (and I am making up this question):

Q:  Should I let my son Little Billy run with scissors?
A:  Miss Manners eschews telling anyone how to raise their children.  She thinks parents should have the ablity to raise them without interference from outsiders, giving them the best opportunities life has to offer.  That being said, allowing your child to run with scissors gives them the lifetime opportunity to be nicknamed Little Billy-One-Eye.

Yet I always think somewhere in the back of her mind, she is just dying to tell someone what she REALLY thinks.  For example, this on wedding etiquette:

Q:  My fiancee and I are working on plans for our upcoming nuptials and have a question.  We are young and, like most young couples, don't have a lot of money to spend on the wedding extravaganza to which we feel we are entitled and are hoping to get other people to pay for parts of it.  One way we have considered milking people is the wedding cake because they seem awfully expensive. We would like to ask people to bring a pie to the wedding because we want to spend the money we would otherwise devote to a cake gambling in Las Vegas.  The wedding is in August, in Alabama, and will probably be Agonizingly Hot.  Some people will have to travel several hours in their hot car the day of the wedding and the pies might be without refrigeration for a short time. And then when the people arrive, we will have to leave and drive an hour round trip to a state park to have our pictures taken, again, the pies might be without refrigeration for a short time. Then we are having a traditional church ceremony, about an hour, and the pies might have to be without refrigeration. The main foods at the reception are being catered by a chain restaurant and we are serving bland hummus, fruit with toothpicks in it, and chicken salad sandwiches with the crusts on.  We realize that the pies should be refrigerated but our question is:  Do you think it is in bad taste to serve the pies to our guests at room temperature?
A:  ARE YOU FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME?????? DOES THE WORD SALMONELLA MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?????

I know, I know, you are thinking, Kim, you came up with a really good question about wedding etiquette because I have been wondering that very question myself.  I have to admit that this incident report actually happened at a wedding attended by a friend of mine.  I know you are thinking that I am making up that also.  But my parents, making Miss Manners proud, raised me to tell the truth when one is writing a blog. Okay, that is a lie.  Back then, there were no blogs.  There was just the National Enquirer and we all know everything printed in that is the truth.  Now another question about wedding etiquette arose from this very same wedding:

Q:  I have an 8-month old child, who is probably the best looking, best behaved, smartest child in all of mankind, and I am pretty sure everyone else knows it and is extremely jealous that he is not their child. He is very mature for his age, speaks several languages, and will soon be in law school.  I have been invited to a Bachelorette Party Weekend in Las Vegas where I expect everyone will want to party, gamble, and hire a male stripper with the looks and body of Mathew McConaughey in Magic Mike, not that there is anything wrong with this last part.  My questions is: Would it be all right if my son went to the party in Las Vegas?
A:   Only if you don't want those girls to be your friends anymore.

Nope, didn't make up that incident report either. It's my understanding that the other invitees to the Vegas Party had the same response as Miss Manners....... but alas, apparently the mother of the lil' darling didn't get the memo and there were disastrous results.  Something was mentioned about Hangover 3 but we have not gotten that confirmed.

There are a few items out there on Etsy that can help to ensure you have a tasty, fun wedding without community pies or toddlers at a Las Vegas party.  Let's start with this beautiful vintage pie server from FairSails.  Okay, it's a pie server.  You knew I could not resist having one in here..... who cares if says "Merry Christmas" on it?? But this shop has some really nice vintage items and has been around a while.  Randi and Garrett have some unusual pieces that will pique your curiosity.   https://www.etsy.com/listing/170424066/vintage-cake-server-pie-server-merry?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=pie+server&ga_ref=shop_search&ga_vintage_rewrite=vintage+pie+server&ga_original_query=2&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_view_type=gallery





Or if you are more of a Modern-Princess Bride-Type-of-Girl, this is a beautiful piece to wear, very unusual,  very princessy (is there such a word??).  You can find it at Lottaart.  Lida and Leon have affordable items and great bling, everything a bride wants!! https://www.etsy.com/listing/155568271/beautiful-wedding-bracelet-handmade-and?ref=shop_home_feat_4


And if you are looking for a wedding cake, check out these great little individual miniature wedding cakes.  Any Bridezilla would want them, such a better alternative to pies.....  you can find some great epicurean delights at jessieraye.




https://www.etsy.com/listing/92827785/your-own-custom-miniature-wedding-cake?ref=sr_gallery_21&ga_search_query=wedding+cake&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto2&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery

Well, that's it for this week.  It's 5:00 somewhere..........

OJ is Dying

Yep, you just had to look, didn't you?  Thought maybe you could save a few dollars at the grocery store by not buying that trashy tabloid you love to read but don't tell anybody you read it.....

Sure Orinthal J. Simpson is an icon in the folklore of American history, for whatever reason you wish to choose. I think he singlehandedly started the evolution of people driving cars to people driving trucks in America.  But this post is moving on to the first and original OJ, the one, the only... drum roll, please... orange juice.  You see, I heard on the radio the other day that sales of that acidic filled, morning delight of the 50s and 60s has trailed off by over 40% in the last decade.  How can this be?? How can it be that we, as a nation, have stopped filling our cute little juice glasses with the stuff America is made of?  What's next... bacon?  No way, because I eat enough bacon for three people, so that would never happen.  Everything  is just better with bacon it in.  I think that might could be a post for another day.......

Anyway, remember growing up, those cutest little orange juice glasses your grandmother used to serve you your orange juice??  And it was always cold, straight out of the fridge with your morning cereal, probably Wheaties, because you WERE the Champion!!!  But I am thinking that, what with America at 0% population growth (geez, who is going to fund Social Security and push me around  in my wheelchair when I am old and grey????), that might account for some of the decline in the popularity of orange juice.  But I have another suspicion........ it's the slackers who have stopped drinking mimosas at brunch.  Yep, that's it.

Useless Factoid:  Spain is the county that produces the most sparkling wine in the world.  Why you ask?  Ever go to a brunch and order a mimosa and get that little black bottle of "champagne" in which to mix your OJ??  Well, that little black bottle is sparkling wine produced in Spain and is used by about 99.9% of hotels and restaurants around the world as the sparkler in a mimosa. Not that I am disparaging that little black bottle of bubbly, but it makes me wonder how bad that stuff might actually be if everyone has to put OJ in it to taste good.  Just a thought..........

But back to the lack of mimosa consumption. I checked on the number of brunches in America, private and public, and there does not seem to be a lack of sales in restaurants and lord knows how many of us attend Saturday or Sunday brunches on a weekly basis.  So what has happened?  Did mimosas fall out of favor?  But what could have taken its place?  Please tell me people are not consummating martinis at that hour of the day!! Hmmm..... I guess it gets back to the slackers who are just not paying attention and letting the Real OJ slip into obscurity.  But for those of us who still believe, here are a few Etsy offerings to keep a good thing going....

The folks at WordForWord got smart and put everything together in one place (Please note the bacon reference, but I digress....).  Yeah, I know these have nothing to do with drinking mimosas but OJ figures quite prominently.  They have an awful lot of really fun stuff in their store. https://www.etsy.com/listing/120325009/breakfast-magnet-set-espresso-orange?ref=shop_home_active_2


These glasses are just fabulous vintage.  Imagine yourself drinking out of these back in the Art Deco period of the '20s.
I have visions of Leonardo DiCaprio showing up in a tux and the women swooning while sipping.  It's really a good fantasy!!!!  They can be found at VintNoggin. https://www.etsy.com/listing/177355593/antique-pretty-pink-optic-champagne?ref=shop_home_active_18  
Okay, so they are from the '40s.  Fantasy is still the American way......


But if you really, really, really want to keep on with the above mentioned fantasy, check out this absolutely stunning Art Deco Champagne Diamond Engagement ring.  I can just envision Leonard DiCaprio kissing my hand while I am flashing this ring.  A woman can dream.....

 
You can find this gorgeous piece at JdotC. Ms. Jessica has some really beautiful pieces.  Here is the link for this one.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/126142433/art-deco-champagne-diamond-engagement?ref=shop_home_active_9

Well, time to go.  It's 5:00 somewhere........

Cher and the Toni-less Dress

That time of year again when we all don our best gown for walking down the red carpet with all the other famous and fabulous celebrities, party all night, and are soooo glad we prepared an acceptance speech in advance.  It saved a lot of time up there at the podium.  NOT!!!!!!!

I love this time of year.  We get to watch all the celebrities walk down the red carpet, dressed to the nines, with fabulous makeup, jewelry, and clothing to die for.  Okay, so maybe that last part is not quite the truth.  Come on, admit it.  You are one of those people who gets on the internet  or watches the Joan Rivers program and checks out who was best dressed and who was the worst dressed, cuz, honey, there is waaaaaay more of the latter than the former.  I know I check it out.  But it is one of the most fun things to do at an Oscar party: Rate the Outfits!!!

There are always the perennially well dressed and then there are... well, people you know you can count on to wear pretty much anything that shows complete lack of not only fashion sense but common sense.  Does the word "Cher" bring up any fond memories??  Or the now infamous sort-of-gown worn by Toni Braxton, the woman with that sultry, sexy alto voice, who decided that she needed to wear as little as possible to an awards ceremony.  Lordy, it was bad.  I would post a picture of it here, but I don't want anyone to say they got PTSS from a post on my blog.  If you are looking for that special dress, get it goin' with this smart satin number from Unforgerttable Vintage.https://www.etsy.com/listing/88956195/old-hollywood-glamour-1930s-diva-bias?ref=shop_home_active_24



One thing we can count on is absolute fabulous bling to be worn by all female stars.  Harry Winston and Van Clef and Arpels get most of the attention.  I personally hope to be buried in anything either one of them make.  Of course, I would have to cash in my life insurance prior to my demise to afford said jewelry, proving you can take it with you. I was in Paris not too long ago and Van Clef and Arpels had a necklace in the window that retailed for about $1M.  I did not buy it but I took a really good picture of it. Now I am going to photoshop it and make sure I am standing proudly in a picture wearing the bling to end all bling.  The miracles of technology..... but to be sure you have some great bling, cruise over to DanPickedMinerals, where you will need a dainty little something to wipe the drool off your face after perusing Dan's sight.  Check out this:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/152141110/vintage-18k-gold-cartier-ladies-watch?ref=shop_home_active_24

You know you want it........


Makeup is usually pretty good too. Kiss, the rock group, has shown up for years in their usual facial splendor. Personally, I think they need a new look.  I always like to see the glamorous old Hollywood look, with the big, long eyelashes and matte makeup.  They were all so...well, just glamorous.  That is what Hollywood was and pretty much still is.

If you want to get dolled up, girls, check it out at KeepingitNatural.  Linda Hoffman, a woman who worked in the cosmetic industry when I did and now has her own line of gorgeous cosmetics, has this great cake mascara.  Now you can get those fab lashes for yourself.  I like cake mascara because it comes off much easier.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/82306520/creamy-cake-black-mascara-mineral?ref=shop_home_feat_1


Well, get ready for a really fun evening because I have seen several of the movies up for all sorts of categories and this year offers some great choices.  Have a fun evening everyone and stay glamorous!!!

Man and the Common Cold

WARNING:  This post is not for the Manly Men out there...                                

My husband came down with a mild case of the flu the other day, and being the Good Wife that I am, I became his primary caretaker.  Any married female knows exactly where this post is going........

Yeah, yeah, I know, you think this post is a gripe session; it's not. It's about pointing out the obvious and how we got there.  I often wonder why our significant others simply cannot conceive of who actually suffers the most when they get a cold or some other minor malady.  Okay, that is a lie.  I really never thought about it until I did this post.  Be that as it may, I think the question is how did we allow ourselves to be put in this position?  Is it nature, you know, the nester thing??  Is it the hunter/gatherer thing? Is it because we birthed them babies or are we caretakers by nature?  I challenge that last theory because, although I love my husband dearly, I have a very low tolerance for the whining and blow by blow description of his Disease of the Day.  Alas, I feel I am slipping into the abyss of, as Henry Higgins of My Fair Lady fame said, Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man???  If we stick with Professor Higgins' theory, most everyone would have selective hearing, make loud and obnoxious bodily omissions, know every baseball stat but forget to take out the trash, and worst of all, always leaves the toilet seat in the upright position.  I can't even imagine that.  Someone has to stay sane for the sake of humanity.

This is my first and last marriage, so having no experience on which to base my theory  -- wait, do I have a theory yet?? -- I called upon my longtime married girlfriends for a reference point.  Geez, I didn't realize that men had so much in common, other than being men.  I also didn't realize my friends also suffered when their spouses became ill with the slightest malady. Hmmmm....

So let's examine all the above theories I have not challenged.  How about the nester-thing theory?  Nope, think that is about when children leave home.  Then again, my dogs make their own little nests and leave really nasty stuff in it, so that really disproves that theory. Then we have the hunter/gatherer theory.  I think that is about men providing food and women like to go to the mall and exercise the credit card, something like that.  Again, not applicable. Which leaves us to the last theory... maybe the correct theory since I have previously stated I have no tolerance for whining.  I think the Birthing the Baby theory is the best explanation.  I have no children, no maternal instinct, so this leads me to believe that, in reality, women have done this to themselves.  Yes, I hear you from here, saying I am but a traitor to womankind.  But you know I am right.  We give birth to them, nurture those little darlings until they marry someone who is not good enough for them.... but I digress.  Anyway, you get the picture.

So the next time your adoring husband becomes ill at the slightest provocation, remember, you are not alone in your suffering. And to ease the suffering of womankind, check out these fun items on Esty, sure to give comfort to ... well, whoever at your house might need it.

This hot water bottle cover is made in cashmere, yep, cashmere.  I want one and I'm not even sick.  Think about how warm and comforting this is.  This is at TrulySimple.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/175769867/100-cashmere-hot-water-bottle-cover?ref=shop_home_active_1


Or after that warm and relaxing bath you took after caring for your loved one, slather on some of this body creme, get that glass of wine you have been thinking you need since about 10:00 this morning, and get some rest!!!  You can find this at FirebirdBathBody. https://www.etsy.com/listing/85838906/snowdrift-body-lotion-avocado-and-shea?ref=shop_home_active_5.  Brooke, the owner, takes great care in her products and you can tell.


And to put all this great stuff in, check out this beautiful medicine cabinet made by Ken Thiebert at Treehouse Woodworks.  I love the reclaimed wood and the beautiful patina that comes with it.  You just can't get that at Home  Depot.   https://www.etsy.com/listing/98797825/barnwood-medicine-cabinet-hand?ref=shop_home_active_18

 

Well, back to caring for my husband, a man who deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor for staying married to me, 'cuz it ain't easy being me. 

Bubba Shrimp and a Weekend in New Orleans

I know, just the subject line of this post will make everyone curious for the mere fact it involves the words "New Orleans" as if the city holds some dark, mysterious spell over us.  Well, maybe it does.  Stuff always happens when we go down there.  It seemed like the perfect storm had landed in New Orleans last weekend.  The traffic was at a standstill, complete gridlock.  Between road construction, Valentines Day, pay day, holiday weekend, start of Mardi Gras, and NBA All Star activity, the city was wild with excitement.

The youngest of our crew (not to be confused with a Krewe, the name of float residents called "Mister") was covering the NBA activities for ESPN, so that was fun.  My husband and I stood in the wrong line at a restaurant and ended up with a wrist band that got us entry to a party given by Dwayne Wade, the Miami Heat player. I cannot tell you how great it feels to be able to write that last sentence.  It makes me feel as if I were a VIP, if only through error.

But New Orleans is a city all unto itself, having not only its own culture but a language of sorts.  Most of us when having a 35th birthday, we turn 35.  There, you "make" 35.  If you are going over to your mother's house, you are going "over by my mama's."  If you are at a Mardi Gras parade and you would like a member of the Krewe to throw you a parade trinket, you scream "Throw me something, Mister."  The male members of the Krewe prefer, if you are a female, that you do this with bared breasts..... The parades at St. Patrick's Day, my favorite parade time, you can eat for a week afterwards as they throw carrots, cabbage, potatoes, anything that involves Irish stew, from the floats.  But you have to be quick or someone will run you over for a trinket of any type.  And when asking the current location of an individual, you ask "Where Yat?"

Then there is the food.  Need I say more?  Yes because I AM writing a blog.  Anyway, they have those fabulous beignets that are big balls of fluffy dough, fried, as most everything is down there, and then lots of confectioner's sugar dusted on top.  The coffee, a blend of chicory and arabica beans, will make your hair stand on end.  Warning:  There are those who are of the mindset that this stuff tastes like floor sweepings from the sawdust mill. This coffee is not for the caffeine-challenged. Of course, there is the Heart Attack on a Plate, which is code for Anything That has Shrimp in It.  As Bubba Shrimp from Forest Gump said, "You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it."

My steadfast rule of visiting New Orleans is easy:  As long as no police are involved and no one requires medical attention, all is good.  Except for that one time...... we were in town for a Saints game and decided to have a drink in a very swank hotel, but the lobby bar was closed.  We met up with a couple who had just won $20,000 at Harrahs and they were looking to celebrate.  They offered for us to go to the upstairs bar with them and drink champagne.  What's not to like about that invite???? To make a long story short, at the table next to us sat a fund raiser for the person who currently occupies a house in our nation's capital painted with a color from Duron called Whisper White (see Lounge Slipper post...).  After a slight altercation, security did have to come and physically remove her.  Oh wait, there was one other time but that's another post for another time.

There are many artists in New Orleans who make and sell wonderful items on Etsy.   One is a shop called
Broile and owner Heather Greene, now a Katrina transplant in Saint Louis, has some hauntingly beautiful photographs of the real New Orleans.  This is a shot of the oldest bar in America, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop.  It's fun to visit but it would be best if you like biker bars.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/56963580/jean-lafittes-blacksmith-shop-new?ref=shop_home_active_6




Another fun shop that showcases a true New Orleanian is scontrino1970.  Dawn Dragon-Ericsson makes all sort of fun trinkets that are indigenous to New Orleans, but I loved this customized tile coaster.  How cool is that?  Impress your friends with your great taste with a set of these.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/173831648/custom-monogram-tile-or-coaster-set-for?ref=shop_home_active_10

Well, time to go.  I would love to hear some stories of yours about New Orleans.  That don't involve the police...

John Paul George Ringo and 57 Channels

I readily admit I can remember watching the Ed Sullivan Show 50 years ago this week, although I was in early grade school.  We  had one of those black and white televisions that everyone had and we all gathered around to watch the show.  There was no screaming in our household, just watching the screen, glued to the events unfolding in front of our eyes. Those of you reading this post and not having the good fortune to have seen it live, you missed something. They were mesmerizing.  Still are today. Perhaps it was the first reality tv programming??


That Sunday night not only changed music in America but changed us as a nation. But maybe not for the reason you think.  Sure, the Beatles gave us music we had never heard before, that beat, those lyrics, and those haircuts. The clothing was out of this world, those round necked jackets that became so fashionable the next day, the boots, still in vogue today, and they brought us an awareness of Carnaby Street, with all its wild fashions.  Remember Twiggy?  I think maybe she started the Anorexia Look. And the Stones?  They gave us the unhealthy, drug induced androgynous look.  And who can forget the Mary Quant makeup and mini skirts??? High priestess of fashion, Coco Chanel, said that men would hate mini skirts.  Don't see how someone can get any more wrong than that.  What was not to love about the '60s?


We watched television in black and white because there was no color tv yet, but the Big Screen had it, Technicolor. Useless Factoid:  Why were the beginning and ending scenes in the Wizard of Oz shot in black and white?  The technology for color film was invented during the shooting of the movie.  The first and last sequences had already been shot and the producers decided it was too expensive to reshoot in color. Go figure.

But we all don't have that love affair with the "Boob Tube."  In fact, there are plenty of songs out there, performed by famous rock 'n roll bands expressing their displeasure about said invention.  Remember Bruce Springsteen back in 1992, "57 Channels and Nothing On"?  Doubt things have changed much except there are about 500+ channels nowadays.  I think my satellite provider has at least that much.  And who can forget, through the smoke and haze of the '60s, Mick and The Stones couldn't get any satisfaction because a man came on the radio, telling them more and more, some useless information?  But I digress.... Or maybe you know about the Red Hot Chili Peppers with "Throw Away Your Television" featuring a guy named Flea, who has blue hair.  Not that there is anything wrong with blue hair.  I just thought blue hair was for little old ladies. And there is the band Violent Femmes, who sang "I Hate the TV,"  a bunch of guys that REALLY hate the tv, which is pretty much the totality of the lyrics.

But we are a nation of television watchers, like it or not.  Etsy has quite of bit of stuff out there to help us feel right at home with our favorite form of entertainment.  Check them out!!

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/114390834/reclaimed-wood-media-console-tv-stand-48?ref=shop_home_feat_2

 This is a beautiful media console, perfect for placing that oversized television on top and great storage underneath. They use reclaimed wood and doubt the pictures can really reflect how gorgeous they are.   I love this piece because it works in a lot of different looks.  I only wish I had a place to put it...... You can find it at Atlas Wood Company.


And check out the crazy fun ring with a '60s tv test pattern on it.  This is at CurioCave and they have tons of interesting jewelry. They have another one with a color tv test pattern.


https://www.etsy.com/listing/102134199/tv-television-test-pattern-indian-chief?ref=sr_gallery_24&ga_search_query=test+pattern&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
                                                                                               



Well, time to sign off and relax.  Think I will settle down with a glass of wine and -- what else --my favorite tv program??

Lounge Singers Wearing Soothing Slippers

We live in a 70-year old home which, as all 70-year old homes go, is in need of constant maintenance. The prior owners seemingly spared all costs when it came to maintaining the property.  Not only that, the paint colors they chose, well, as one of my neighbors explained "looked like Early Pottery Barn." Which got me to thinking about how those hideous colors got their name. And if I told you how I once helped with a Project Nom de Plume, would you really be surprised????

In order to rid myself of the homely paint colors on my walls, I had to make a trip or two to the friendly neighborhood paint store. I have been painting my abodes since the first home I bought so this was nothing new to me.  What was new to me was the really poor painting job the previous owners left me with and desperately needed to be examined, repaired, and most every prep step you can imagine needed to be performed. Sometimes there are people who should NEVER be allowed to have a paint brush in their hands.  Where are the Paint Police when you need them?

I traversed to my closest paint store and started perusing the paint selections.  If you have not done any painting lately, gone are the days of simply slapping on some paint and calling it a day.  Now you have to choose from To Prime or Not to Prime, Gloss or Matte (which sound more like lipstick applications...) and Suede or Pebbly. And if the amount of colors isn't enough to confuse you, the names of the colors aren't just blue, green and grey.  Many of them border on absurd.  For example:

Shop 'til you Drop is a funky shade of orange, as apparently this is the color you might turn if indeed you Shop 'Til You Drop.  Who knew??  Elevator Button, a gold shade, most definitely did not light up or hit any of my buttons. Lounge Singer, a taupy grey color, which indicates what shade your skin will be if you spend much time in this occupation. Or you could combine two of them for a theme:  Soothing Slippers and Oxygen White for those who are currently residing in a setting for the medically impaired. Or the gastronomically incorrect Curry Green, which insinuates you might get ill after seeing this color since curry is a shade of golden-yellow.  One is named after an '80s rock Band, Wham, called Careless Whisper, although I did find a shade called Sigh, which is what I was doing after cruising the paint section.

My favorite is one named "Iolite." The dictionary definition of iolite is "magnesium iron aluminium cyclosilicate. Iron is almost always present and a solid solution exists between Mg-rich cordierite and Fe-rich sekaninaite with a series formula: (Mg,Fe)2Al3 to (Fe,Mg)2Al3. ..." I did not know that.......

One of my sisters used to be a commercial textile designer and as such was not only responsible for designing but naming these gems.  One collection was about the galaxy and she was stumped and also in a hurry.  Enter me and a bottle of wine (see Orson Welles post...).  I'm not sure if it was the wine or what but it sure was a whole lot harder to come up with names than one would believe.  At first, we thought and mused over the names.  Finally, when the bottle was empty -- or we got sick of the project, can't remember which  -- we just started coming up with something, anything, to fill in the blank.  Then I realized why we have Lounge Singers, Soothing Slippers, and a lot of Careless Whispering going on.

But the Lounge Singer and Soothing Slippers reminded me of our cold weather and the little ice cubes that used to be my feet.  This offering from Etsy could cure that problem for me or anyone with this malady.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/163569187/felted-slippers-orange-handmade-felt?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_query=slippers&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Or just looking for some really incredible footwear to show off your splendid sartorial taste?  Check out these!
 https://www.etsy.com/listing/162427650/20off-handmade-embroidered-shoe-women?ref=sr_gallery_37&ga_search_query=slippers&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade


But if you are looking for something really unusual to slip on your feet, cold or not, check out these fabulous
babies, sure to make you the envy of every BFF you have. Any Lounge Singer would be proud to wear them!!!

     
https://www.etsy.com/listing/113735938/custom-styled-shoes-inspired-by-the-ruby?ref=shop_home_feat_1

This weekend I am painting one of my bathrooms with Thunder Fog.  Sigh.........

Romeo, Juliet, and Smores

This time of the year, we turn our thoughts to romance and Shakespeare said it best in his play "Romeo and Juliet," a classic love story about a guy who meets a girl, guy gets girl, guy loses girl and then they both commit suicide.  Well, maybe that last part is not so classic, but who doesn't love that story??  I think the reason love comes to the forefront of our thoughts is because we are besieged with it by the incessant advertising done by mass jewelry stores, florist shops, and Hallmark cards.  It wasn't always this way...... it began as a liturgical celebration and still is in many countries. There are many Christian martyrs named Valentine.  This is because a gentleman named Saint Valentine of Rome, during the times of the ancient Roman Empire, was unfortunately  incarcerated for performing wedding ceremonies for soldiers who were forbidden to marry.  While he was in jail , he saved the life of his jailer's daughter, sending her a love letter prior to his ultimate and unfortunate execution, signing it "Your Valentine."

Then come the Middle Ages where Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of the book we all know, love, and have probably never read, Canterbury Tales, and his group started the whole courtly love thing.  Apparently, Mr. Chaucer wrote a poem to celebrate the marriage of Richard II  to Anne of Bohemia.  (We all have probably read this poem too.....) On to 18th century England, where the industrialization of Valentines Day began.  They started making valentine cards on doilies, hand drawn pictures, and candy to seal the deal with their significant other. Come the excess of the 1980s and jewelry retailers decided it was a good time to get in on the action and persuade the buying public (men....) that women like to get shiny baubles around this time of year.  Not to say we don't like getting them at ANY time of the year, just more so at Valentines' Day to commemorate your courtly love. It's one of those '80s throw backs that still hang around.

Back to the liturgical thing mentioned earlier.  Think how great it would be if we could have yet another fully paid holiday so banks could be closed, the federal and state governments could be closed, schools would be closed and we could all sit around, celebrating our love for our significant other by giving wonderful cards, drinking wine (see earlier post about Orson Welles....) eating candy, and women would receive fabulous bling.  What a holiday! Call your Congressman/Congresswoman today and espouse your support of what could be the greatest holiday in existence.  Tell them you saw it here........

If you can't afford serious bling for your loved one, there are a lot of different and fun items on Etsy to celebrate Valentines Day.  Here are a few:

For the Adult Set, the card choices are fantastic. I can hardly wait to give one to my husband.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120426093/valentines-day-card-adult-sexy?ref=shop_home_feat_1

If you are looking for something incredibly fun to share, try this SMores Package.  Can't you just picture Romeo and Juliet, sitting by the fire, toasting some of these?  And ooey gooey chocolate has saved more than one romance!!.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/168793449/valentines-day-artisan-smores-gift-set?ref=shop_home_feat_4

 


Until next week, Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Orson Welles Had it Right....

... when he said "I will sell no wine before its time."  Of course, I think he was pimping himself out for Paul Masson wines at the time, extolling the virtues of the grape and vineyard. That was back in the 1970's, when wine was in its infancy here in the States, and Gallo Wines was the biggest thing going, which goes to show you just how bad the state of the grape was back then.  Of course, Mr. Welles, the director of a movie that most consider the most important film EVER made, didn't actually drink Mr. Masson's final product and was subsequently fired for saying so on talk television a few years later.  Which got me to thinking about how dramatically things have changed with wine consumption here in the good old U.S. of A.....

I admit that I probably have spent a good amount of time over the years consuming the stuff, some very good, some very bad, and some downright ugly.  I remember in the 70's, when I was young and tender and the drinking age was 18, we bought our swill wine from the convenience store, mostly because we could not afford the good stuff and didn't even know good stuff existed. And mostly we had ABC stores; wine stores simply did not exist.  Our selections consisted of Lancer's Rose (still sold by the case loads in Portugal, 'cuz I saw it there not too long ago.....) and Blue Nun wine. The thought of consuming either of them now is SO less appealing.

Wine actually began as sort of a medicinal beverage .  New research shows that it has been around since the Paleolithic Age, which means the proverbial hangover has been with us since that time also. Some things never change.... but I digress.  As a professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania describes it, "a beverage that tasted good,  provided energy, and was a social lubricator with mind altering effects." Well, duh!!!!!  About 9,000 years ago, it was the Chinese making rice-honey wine in the region of Jiahu in central China.  Then along came the Persians, using the common grape Vitis vinifera, and started making their version of the fermented fruit, although I would imagine that bouncing around on the back of a camel with a hangover was a bit punishing. The Egyptians got in on the act around 5,000 years ago, although they are better known as the originators of hops and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Wine finally got its due when the Greeks and Romans started using the libation for their worship services of Dionysus and Bacchus, which the citizens of New Orleans still carry on once a year.

Fast forward to the 1920s and the Volstead Act.  Now if you think the Volstead Act was a bad thing, think about this:  it gave us organized crime, an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs in New York alone, and provided the impetus for what some consider the greatest sport in America, namely, NASCAR. (I personally can't believe that I am using NASCAR in a post about wine.  I must have had too much of it last night to desecrate wine in such a manner.) In 1933, the citizenry of America sobered up and repealed the Volstead Act.

I perused Etsy to see who was doing what with what now is a $44B industry, and that does not account for cocktail napkins, wine stoppers, and anything/everything else related to the consumption of our favorite beverage.  I was pretty impressed with people's imagination.

iCustomwines has some really great looking and innovative labels that can be personalized for you.  They have some really great ideas which may have never occurred to you. These are great gifts for Sucking Up to the Boss Dinner and occasions such as that. https://www.etsy.com/shop/iCustomWine?ref=ss_profile

Thevinyards does a lot of interesting things with reclaimed wood.  The thing I like about their shop is that not only are their pieces recycled but that type of application can be used in homes that are very contemporary to the very traditional.  They have many one-of-a-kind pieces, sure to be the talk of any wine consumers at your next party!! Plus, they have provided me with our Useless Factoid of the Week: The world’s oldest bottle of wine dates back to A.D. 325 and was found near the town of Speyer, Germany, inside one of two Roman sarcophagi. It is on display at the town's Historisches Museum der Pfalz.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheVineyards?ref=listing-shop-header-item-count

newspinstore is exactly that, a new spin. I love the outside-the-box thinking.  They actually have a wine apparatus that allows you to drink wine and ski at the same time.  Okay, that is a gross exaggeration, but they do have a nifty wine storage piece made out of skis. This takes great imagination and I mean that in all sincerity.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/newspinstore?ref=ss_profile

DestinationLtd makes some unique and interesting wine stoppers.  Sure, there are a lot of choices for stoppers out there, but they have some great ones that can be personalized.  Again, great gift idea for weddings, hostess gifts, and just something that can be reused time and time again, unlike the bottle of wine that everyone else brought to the party.  Not that there is anything wrong with bringing a bottle of wine to a party.....
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DestinationLtd?ref=ss_profile

My absolute favorite is this great wine storage that was built and designed by GreenDesignsSanRamon for a well known, very famous person whose name is withheld to protect the innocent.  I love the ingenuity and thought that went into the piece and their prices are very reasonable.  It's a great storage piece, made from staves of the wine casks. Plus now you can get something made for the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in your wine tasting room!!!!!   https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreenDesignsSanRamon?ref=ss_profile



Well, that's it for this week.  It's 5:00 somewhere and I am headed for my first cocktail of the day........