Potty Talk

Ladies, I'm sorry but this is just one of those things that I just HAVE to say. Please, this is really not vulgar, it is educational and it is a plea from me (and hopefully many other women) to you.

Let me set the record straight. You will not, and CAN NOT get a disease from sitting on a public toilet seat! I have heard this from a Doctor and confirmed it researching the Internet. What in the world is so disgusting about sharing a little thigh space with other women? Trust me, we do way more disgusting things throughout our day, unknowingly and knowingly perhaps.

There is a way you could get infected, I guess. (and I promise that this is as crude as I'm going to get). A nasty woman could come into the bathroom and rub "herself" all over the toilet seat, and then you could come in and rub "yourself" all over the toilet seat. That would be a problem, so, lets avoid that.

I'll tell you what is disgusting. Walking into a restroom and seeing your pee all over the toilet seat. Then, if I have a wipe I will go on to wiping off YOUR pee so that I can comfortably go to the bathroom. I am NOT interested at all in squatting. For three reasons.

 For one, we all know that our stream can be somewhat unpredictable, and no telling what direction it will be going in! I have actually peed on my pants and/or undies thanks to you, my dear squatter.

Reason number two, I have read that if you squat you are not able to empty your bladder completely which, can cause a UTI! Please consider THAT...

And third reason, I'm just lazy. I work out and run to get in shape, squatting anywhere other than at the gym or to pick up a heavy object is just not fair. I'm sorry!

Speaking of disgusting. If you have ever swam in a pool, taken a dip into the Ocean or, eeeeww, a LAKE? then you can share a little thigh space with the rest of us.

Finally, what I think is gross: is to squat, to come into the bathroom after you have squatted and have to wipe your pee off the toilet! So here is my plea! You know, you really don't have to agree with me. That is OK, even though I think I'm right. But do me a favor: If you still insist on squatting, since you aren't enjoying the modern luxury of a toilet seat anyway, please just grab a piece of toilet paper and RAISE the toilet seat UP. That way you can pee on the rim, floor, yourself, wherever and leave the seat clean for me!

Spring break creations

I began my week trying to redo this cabinet that I had painted back in August. I never did like the white, so decided to do something drastic. I asked my friend Edie to give me some advice. She said to paint it blue. Blue? Are you sure? So very reluctantly I decided to step out of my monochromatic comfort zone and go wild. When I got to Home Depot I fell in love with this color, it is called "Caribe". How can you not love a color with that name. Now I wanlk into my kitchen and smile at my CARIBE.
However, I must confess, I'm still not thrilled with it. I distressed it a little (you can't tell in the picture) but I still feel like it is missing something (that is why I bought those vinal thingis when I painted it white). Please feel free to give me some advice. And feel free to tell me that you hate my CARIBE.

OK. So here are a few other things that kept me intertained:







Much better with the button if you ask me!



This one will go on my pretty new pink spring swetter:



And this random one... who knows?




The week before Spring Break I worked on these that were from a Tutorial I found over at Crafty Sisters.




I'm working on something else real pretty, but it's not finished yet. And since it wasn't finished during Spring Break you will have to wait to see it.

Calling all Creative minds

I don't know if you are like me, but I go through stages. I sometimes think that I am crazy, or going crazy, or just way to insecure to settle on being myself. I do remember my mom going through stages like this, so I don't feel so bad, and I will assume that all (or at least most of) you have done the same. My mom went through the crosstitching stage, and the dog breeding and training to compete stage. Those just stick out in my mind, because they were when I was a teen, I'm sure there are many more, she had friends, there HAD to be more. I wish she were alive to tell them all. I may have to go ask her friends...

We like to be on top of it all, to be "in" with whatever your "in" crowd is doing. Really it all goes back to Keeping up with the Joneses. What happens to me though, is I just want to jump in, and I do, head first! Let me tell you about some of my stages. One was bread making. I was determined to make my own bread from scratch, with freshly ground whole wheat. I bought the mill, the mixer, the whole nine yards. My bread is delicious. I came up with my own recipe and I make, apple-cinnamon, and orange cranberry at Christmas time. Yummy. Isaac who is now 11, never had white bread till he was 3 or 4. The first time he tried it, he didn't like it and said with great surprise "MOM! This bread is WHITE!"

I tried the scrapbooking, but because I am just too much of a perfectionist and "non-creative" it was just too frustrating to me! I hated it and why was I spending so much time and money on something I hated so much?

I sold bread, I sold Pampered Chef and now I sell jewelry. So add on to that the new love of trying to be creative. I have decided that I am not as creative as most bloggers, but I am resourceful. I like the JUNKIN'. My husband makes fun of me. "I can't believe you WANT to go to the Flea Market. Two years ago you would have turned your nose up at all this stuff." Now, I try to look at everything with new eyes.

Yet, I am still a newbie!

So here is what I got Saturday:



the lovely tea pot is missing it's top. So it will have to be used as a vase. All three were $3





Mike sowed me these, thought they were so cool. He says they are insulators for electrical wires. However, what the heck am I going to do with those? $1 a piece


And what do you think of this crazy thing? I can't even decide if I like it. It was $1 so I figured I had nothing to loose (other than a dollar (it was a lamp as far as I can tell)









Today I went to Central Services and got these cuties:







What oh, what to do with these?!!

I also bought several picture frames. I'm lovin' the picture frames!

Any affirmation and advice will be much appreciated. Because right now I'm feeling like I just have a bunch of junk! $21 dollars worth of junk.

I hate getting old!

Yesterday in my attempt to keep up with my New Years Resolutions, I have started running again and have been working on losing weight. Of course when I was young I could lose 5 pounds the first week and 2 every week there after. But now days (sigh) it takes so much more than that! I have lost 6 ponds, but oh! my word. Good thing my motto this year is "Don't ever give up." Next year I will weigh something. It can be the same as now or it can be 30 pounds less. The year will still go on. I ran 3.25 miles in like 36 minutes (that, in case you don't know is very pathetic), but I gave it my all and increased my speed throughout the interval session, and payed for it dearly. My hip was hurting so bad after that I could hardly walk! And today I gave in and took some Advil to be able to walk like a dignified 40 year old woman.

Anyway, another thing that has me worried with age is my skin. I grew up on the coast of Chile (a country that sad enough is now on the map) and living among perpetual dark people makes you take drastic measures. So, I became a sun worshipper. My mom tried to warn me, but when you are a teenager, who listens to their mom anyway? I would lay out in the sun with the rest of my friends and while they tanned I burnt to a crisp, so bad indeed that my eyes would swell and I would look like an alligator for days, waking up in the morning with my bed full of dead skin. (If I had a scanner I would share a picture of my swollen eyes, too bad I don't have one "wink"). I have been wanting to go to the dermatologist for a long time now. And yesterday morning I said to myself "That's it" as I looked in the mirror and in horror saw something I had never seen before.



Do you see that?

I told my husband today my plight. "Mike I really think it's time for me to go get this checked out. What do you think? He smiled and said. "What I think is that you burnt yourself with the curling iron!" As I gasped and laughed at the same time I remembered "Oh yea, (inset blond moment here, or better yet, senile moment) it's all coming back to me now."

Getting old stinks!

The dermatologist will have to wait because a few months ago I lost my glasses and I can't pay for new ones because I'm a shopaholic.

Getting old (and fat) stinks!

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Some things are just worth it.

Although I would never pay $120 dollars for a green scarf, there are plenty of things I have payed way more money for than your common bargain shopper would be willing to pay. And as I sat and watched the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" last night I found myself identifying with Rebecca way more than I should, I suppose.
I love to shop, I love clothes, I love being able to speak of who I am by the way I dress and "adorn" myself. I love getting a great deal, just like the rest of you. The whole shopping experience is therapeutic, exhilarating and rewarding (if you have the money, of course, but as clearly stated in the movie, it can become more of a burden that the rush is worth). A few weeks ago I took an afternoon to hit the outlets in Pigeon Forge that I am fortunate enough to live close to (one hour away).
I went to my three favorite places. Gap, Old Navy and Eddie Bauer. I desperately needed some pants, therefore that was my mission. Pants, I love! At The Gap I found a pair on Clarence for $5.00! Yes friends As in FIVE. Payed cash (it cost me less than my lunch) and ran over to Old Navy. Old Navy makes pants for me. I would have to say that about 90% of all pairs of pants I have ever owned come from there, they just fit me better that anything. At Old Navy I found 2 pairs not on sale ($30) and a skirt that was $5.00. So I feel I can justify buying the ones not on sale when I got the others so cheep. That would be $70.00 for three pant and a skirt. Not too bad. At Eddie Bauer I found a shirt, amount will not be disclosed. I am top heavy and finding tops is very hard and stressful. When I find one I love I will pay. Yep That is worth the money.

Yesterday I was feeling T.J.Maxx withdrawals, so I decided to run over there even though I had just worked out and was sweaty and smelly, but it was my only chance before I picked the boys up from school. I found the most awesome deal. There was a banged up (pre-distressed is what I like to call it) 3x3 (FEET, that is) mirror for $11. Yes ladies! As in ELEVEN dollars!! Who can pass that up? Even if it is sitting in my garage and will have to wait to be worked on, and I have no idea where it will go. However, while I was there I also found an adorable shirt. I love butterflies and it just called my name. So the shirt was $24.99. Gulp, at T.J.Maxx? Well, lets just pretend that I got the mirror for $20 dollars, still an amazing deal, so the shirt was only $14.99. I can do that! Deal!









Even though I try to justify some of my purchaces I insist that there are some things just worth it. I tend to shop for what I like, and if I love it I will get it (within reason, at least for me).
Here are a few of my, "it's just worth the extra money" list.

1. Running shoes. I love to run and when you run 10-25 miles a week you need a GOOD pair for shoes. If not I would be paying for it in shin slints, aquiles tendonitis, knee issues and hip issues. So I go to the running store and hand out the big bucks.

2. Running pants. I won't go into the details, but for good reason I am very picky about my pants. Land End can't beat anybody as far as quality and comfort for my needs. $45 well spent, woth every penny.

3. Underware. This has been a more recent discovery. You may have you favorite, but even at $10.00 a pair Victoria's Secret can't be beat. I have tried and tried, but it has cost me more to buy and replace crappy underware than to buy my faveorite VS pair. These last me YEARS. I have just vowed to never buy panties other than the most comfortable and quality Victoria's Secret. LOVE them.

4. Dish detergent. I'm just saying, Cascade is worth the extra few pennies (or dollars).



5. GAP pants. Yes, I must confess I have bought full price pants from The Gap. They, like Old Navy pants are made to fit me. And the few that I have splurged on, I must say, again, worth every penny.

Please feel free to add to my list. It may be enlightening.
You may even dissagree with me, and that is OK. I understand that to some people other things are worth their time and money. And well, I guess that is a whole other subject I could address in the future. For now, if you are like me, you can find a friend that will help you in your justifications and would be happy to go shopping with you some day.

Her children arise and call her blessed

I have a really bad long term memory. So, when this photo was sent to me a few months ago I was thrilled, thrilled to have one more reminder of what a peaceful and happy childhood I had.

1975.
My parents had been appointed missionaries in 1967ish to go serve the Lord in Chile. I was born there in Concepcion. Two years after I was born the people of Chile elected a Socialist President. The political situation was very difficult and began to get quite dangerous, therefore my parents, along with many other missionaries, left the country believing they would never return again. By the time they left I was 3 (or close to it) and spoke mostly Spanish. We moved to Memphis, TN. my mother's home town. I attended Kindergarten there and all I remember is dressing up as an Indian and my milk spilling all over the floor because my Thermos lid was not on correctly. Oh yea, and getting stung by a bee.

As the Lord would have it, things changed drastically in Chile (military Coup, bla, bla, bla) and my parents were then re-appointed to Chile, only this time we would be living in the fabulous city of Vina del Mar (Vineyard of the Sea) You can check it out HERE. It would have had to have been late 1974 or early 1975. At any rate, I was 5, and in March of 1975 I would be starting 1st Grade. Because missionaries leave the country of service every 3-4 years to come to the States on furlough for 7-12 months (we always came every 3 years for 6-7 months) they thought that somewhere along the way I may have to be held back, so they put me in 1st Grade as a 5 year old.




So here I am, a "Chilena" that doesn't remember a lick of Spanish after being in the States for a year and a half and headed to a brand new school, hasn't met a soul and doesn't know what she is getting into. This photo was taken, however, that first day of school.
Tell me, what foreign little 5 year old looks like THAT on the first day of school? The lady holding my hand is Ms. Margaret, the Headmaster of Saint Paul's School. The beautiful lady on the right of the photo is my mother. I give all the credit to her. This is a woman full of confidence, joy and reassurance that her precious daughter is in the hands of God and in the hands of these loving committed teachers. As I look onto this picture I just can't help but smile and rejoice at the wonderful life and the wonderful parents that he gave me.
If you never had a chance to, I wish you could have met my mother. Anyone who has met her can tell you that she was the most beautiful, person, inside and out. Here are a few quotes from friends and coligues:

"I'm not the only one who loved her cooking and remembered her beautiful kindness" (S.D.A)

"She was such a strong core of that loving family." (B.P.M)

"Every time I would see you mom she reminded me of Grace Kelly. She was so pretty, her voice was so soft, and she always smelt like roses." (G.B)

"I remember spending the night at your house and waking up early so she could take us somewhere special and she would turn on the bathroom heater for us so we wouldn't get cold." (K.R.T)

"It's impossible to forget her beautiful and permanent smile, her kindness, her calmness and her soft voice. (P.P)

"In her eyes all you could see was love and tenderness." (A.H)

As you can tell, not only her children, but ALL arise and call her blessed.

Pottery Barn just made my day!

One of my favorite past times lately is to surf blogs to get ideas on decorating, painting and the such. As I stated in my previous blog, I am so hooked on this crazy stuff. It takes me several days of pondering and convincing to try something. Several weeks ago on a whim I purchaced this at Central Services:





A few days later I saw on a blog that someone had painted a silver tray with chalk paint (which I'm all about!)> I thought, that would be the perfect thing to do to my plate! So off I go to Lowe's to get the chalk paint (not cheep, but I WILL be using again so it is a well spent investment, trust me).
This is how it turned out, and it looks way better than the garlic swag.






Well, today I was motivated to surf and ended up at one of my favorite places. Pottery Barn. I love to see what they do to rooms and what could I do like that too. And WOW, CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Who knew I had it in me!