Nothing to Blog about

You do that Voodoo.. So Good !!

2012-02-11T17:26:00.001-05:00

Gooood Morning !!!!!

It’s Saturday Morning and wonder of wonders… we don’t have any big plans..

No Showers to get ready for …. No shopping to to do.. Nothing big or even small as a matter of fact

to attend to…

So Mr R and I slept in.. we didn’t get out of bed till almost 7:30 !!! Whoo Hoo ! ( Yes that’s sleeping in for us )

I must say it was loverly.

So after the hubs snow plowed the drive ( yes Michigan finally got some snow) we both sat down with some coffee and perused the internetz… Something I think I could do all day !!

Suddenly Mr R started reading the tantalizing description of some amazing sounding food.

Red Velvet Pancakes….Banana Nutella Crepes….Fried Chicken and Waffles????

OMG !!!!

He asked if I wanted to head downtown for a bite to eat at the The Hudson Café.

After wiping the drool from my mouth… I enthusiastically said YES !!!

So I slapped on a little lipstick…

Took off the Yoga Pants

( Ha… as IF they’ve ever seen a day of Yoga) Sprinted into my jeans and we were off.

20 some minutes later we were there….

I was surprise to find it was a rather modern trendy kind of place…

I don’t know I guess I thought I would find a bunch of older locals…huddled around turquoise Formica tables slurping coffee from chipped diner mugs…. On On the contrary, the place was packed with mostly younger collage age hipsters with a smattering of young families feeding the little ones ….many were probably there for the Winter Blast going on.

So…. instead of the dank dark dreary hole in the wall I’d summoned in my mind.. the place was down right bright and cheery.

From the moment we walked in…the beautiful hostess greeted us wearing the most gorgeous smile and the most vibrant orange top and matching scarf..

( OH how I wish I would have asked to take her picture)

That girl was sharp !

The wait staff was fast friendly and efficient…

We were pleased indeed…

The hard part for us was going to be trying to figure out how in the world we were going to make our choice from such a great menu.

Yeah… Not an easy task…fun… but not easy.

When probed….the hostess proclaimed the Challah Bread French Toast her favorite…although the Red Velvet Pancakes were a close second.

Our Server suggested the Corned Beef Hash or the Chunky Monkey Pancakes.

We both glanced around us trying to figure out what in the world we would choose..

Finally after much deliberating… we committed…

Fried Chicken and Waffle for Mr R… and the Voodoo Eggs Benedict for me..

Courtney our server made a good argument for the Voodoo.. she said you can get standard Eggs Benedict anywhere.. How often do you find one made with a house made Corncake base, Chorizo, and ranchero sauce….Point taken.

Now all we had to do was wait..

At least I had something nice to look at while I waited.

Before we could say…Huevos Rancheros..our food was there..

(Oh I didn’t mention that not only was the Maple Syrup delish… it was warm ! )

My Voodoo… was SCARY good !!

The eggs were done to perfection.( Nothing worse than a runny underdone egg….ewwwww)

The chorizo was spicy but not blast you lips off hot… for the bonus round … it came with cheesy grits. YUM !

Great Atmosphere.. Great food… and Good Service..

Courtney was even nice enough to indulge my request for a picture of their shirts…

“Griddle me This..” How flippin cute.

Yes.. I would say The Hudson Café was a great big 2 Thumbs Up.

Thank You Ron for the suggestion…

Hope everyone has a great…. relaxing weekend !!!

2012-02-07T21:15:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Pa

Today you would have been 80 years old

We all love and miss you so much.

Welcome Baby!!!!

2012-01-31T21:52:00.003-05:00

Hooray !!!!

The day finally came..

Mike and Maria’s Baby Shower !!!

We celebrate the anticipated arrival of little Vincent !!!

This is not little Vincent… however he will be our little monkey!

The morning of Mike and Maria’s Shower started out perfectly fine.

That is until we looked out the window 30 minutes prior to everyone’s scheduled arrival and saw a blizzard… It never fails.. ugh..

We carried on and decorated inside, hoping for the best !

As you can see.. The color scheme for the nursery is brown blue and white.

As well as a jungle theme.

The cake turned out cute too.. the cannoli filling was just an added bonus ….

Oh… My … Gosh was it good !!!

Some of you PINFREAKS will notice that,I tried out a whole lot of things for the shower (Coffee Filter Pom Poms,Tissue Paper Poms Tulle Poms and a Twine Ball )

Thank You Pinterest

I got so inspired and downright brave after making these little ditties that I decided to something I hadn’t done since high school…

( No I didn’t do the hustle)…

I picked up a paint brush and some paint !!!

I took a stab at trying to recreate the shower invitation…IN OILS no less… what am I …..crazy?

Meh.. I’m no Leonardo but I did what I could..

The nutcracker Monkey and Lion were gifts from Nancy … How flippin cute…

At the opposite end of the room we had a set up a little area for brown and blue candy as well as displaying some cute little Monkey outfits I found… on the right you will notice that once again Martin and Melissa’s wedding centerpiece came in handy for yet another project..

Halloween it sports bats…

Christmas it has bulbs…

at Easter it becomes an Egg Tree…. and on this day..it will be a “Wishing Tree”

We ran off post cards that said Wishes for baby… that everyone in attendance filled out.

Then hung them on the tree.

We also had everyone give the future parents any tidbits of wisdom they wanted to share.

We’ll laminate them as remembrances .

Cute huh?

On to the center pieces..

I don’t know how I landed on this website … but I’m so so glad I did.

These little beauties did double duty.. serving as the main centerpiece, as well as being favors for everyone to take home !!

This company was so accommodating..

I Highly recommend !

Mamma did her fair share too…

I went out and bought the materials needed for this cute banner.. and she did the hard work.

The Bottom banner will eventually say “ Happy Birthday”

It will not only be a great thing to display on his birthdays.. it is also a wonderful keepsake from his Bisnonna/ Great Grandma.

I think the room turned out pretty good…

( THANK YOU HEATHER and KAREN !! for all your help that afternoon)

Wasn’t it nice of the restaurant to make sure their color scheme matched ours?

*Note the blanket of white outside the windows…errrrrrr

Now all we had to do was wait to see if anyone would show…

Aunty Heather was my right hand that day.. which came in handy since you kinda need a right hand to take pictures.. She did a great job!!

In spite of the snow.. people came… bearing gifts even !!

It was so good to see so many happy smiling faces..

Some couldn’t smile because they were a little Emo…

“Little Marrrria is all grown up …. waaaaaa”

There were old friends…

And new…

and even a little Testosterone thrown in for good measure..

( Mike.. what a good sport)

Aunt Lina says the girls can’t wait to meet

“Their cousin Vinnie”

Three generations well four if you count the one still brewing.

It was so good seeing everyone !!!

It makes me kind of sad though.. I mean my Goddaughter here was just born yesterday… ok .. not yesterday… but it sure seems like it..ugh !

Same with these two birds…How can this young chick on the right be a grandma already…when the young chick on the left just got out of pampers herself…

I think Jen has the right idea.. just smile… wave… and make the best of it.. we can’t stop time.

Maria did a great job of catching up with folks she may not get to see very often..

Taking some time for a snapshot of the family…

She’s pretty lucky to have such good in-laws

My gang is pretty nice too.. however here it looks like we’re trying to solve the problems of the world…

Either that or we’re trying to piece together how we can all look so different yet really still be cousins…hmmmm

These two birds are probably texting each other…

YES Bridget… Little Marrrria is going to be a Mom… No that is NOT a pillow.

She really couldn’t have been happier that day .

and I couldn’t have made weirder faces if I tried…

Here I was trying to be ladylike in getting everyone’s attention by tapping a glass…. instead of being loud and tacky..and screaming out…

“YO….LISTEN UP !

From the look on her face….

Even the lady on the wall wasn’t buying it…

We gave away a couple of gifts for those whose birthday’s came closest to Mike.. Maria.. and Baby.

Then it was on to putting down in writing our wishes for Baby Vincent.

The girls hung everyone’s well wishes when they were complete.

In fact the ~~hired hands~~… ugh.. I mean the girls were very very handy that day.. as they helped with all the ~~grunt work~~.. ugh I mean the labor of love.

And labor they did… there were so so many gifts.

It is overwhelming how kind people can be

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

They got so many wonderful things..

Some were even handmade !

Well done… I say…Well done !!!

Most made them happy…

But some just made them cry…

You see this little grey coat and hat were originally my son’s.

A long time ago I lent it to my sister in law Nancy.. who was sweet enough to pass it back to Maria.

It was such a touching moment when Maria realized it had once belonged to her brother.

Let’s just say … Maria loved it …. the crowd loved it

Nana loved it too…

Although she was also rather intrigued with the ribbons.

WHAT is it with this woman and ribbons?…

First at Maria’s Wedding Shower..

and now this?

All I know is.. Nana thought the shower was a hit !!

Mike and Maria were just so happy to see everyone and very grateful for their generosity .

So.. with all the gifts open.. it was time to mingle again..

and mingle we did..

Some even worked on their gifts during the shindig. ( Hey.. a girls gotta make a living ya know)

It is so true….There really isn’t anything like friendship….

It warms the cockles

Of your heart.

Friends who have been around forever..

Friends who are new

Friends and their children

Friends and their parents..

What can I say….

It’s a blessing beyond compare..

God Bless you my friends

God Bless you my Daughter and Son in law

God Bless you Baby Vincent…I don’t know how…

but I love you already !!

*See … I told you I’ve been busy !

Stay Tuned !

2012-01-21T11:00:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't been around much lately... I've been really busy..

I'll post what I've been up to soon...

I promise !!

Stay Tuned !!

Lovely 4 Square Afternoon or Some of my Favorite Things.

2012-01-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

Hello ya’ll !

I don’t know why I’ve suddenly gone southern on ya’ll

Hmmm maybe it’s the weather ?

It’s a balmy 40 degrees here in the Mitt ! and believe me.. 40 degrees in January in Michigan is BALMY !

Any whoo…

The house is picked up…Laundry is put away.. and meatloaf is in the oven.

With no really big breaking news …I figured why not write a little something about a little nothing. on Nothing to Blog about.

It has turned out to be SUCH an beautiful afternoon..and just looking around the ol Lady Den is making me feel all warm and fuzzy.
All the little things in here just make me smile.

One…mildly exciting thing going on this weekend is that I finally got my 4 Square stand from IKEA !!!

Dear wonderful Mr R put it together for me in no time!

I think it turned out great !!

On this particular Sunday afternoon.. the sun is streaming in so beautifully…. and aside from the muffled sounds of the NFL in the family room.. and the melodious music of Nuns singing on EWTN from Mamma’s room.. The serenity here is deafening.

I kid.. I kid.. It really is quite lovely here in the Lady Den.
As I shut the door to the outside world… I bask in my newly organized space . Soft music fills the room… as does that lovely lovely light.

Can you feel the vibe Daddy O ?

Speaking of organized space.. I got a great “Cheap” idea from Pinterest.
OMG.. I just LOVE that website..and have been known to drift away into a time suck of such grand proportions.

You can follow my pins there if you like.

Anyway…

If you’ll notice the cute little box under the clock… This great little fabric covered box came with some yummy treats years ago.

I’m sorry but this box is just too darn cute to throw or give away.

So Thanks to Pinterest… It now houses many of my camera’s USB cords and chargers.

The kicker is …

They’re labeled then wrapped inside old toilet paper rolls !!

Genius I tell you… simply genius !!

No more fumbling around looking for the correct cord or charger..

I feel so Martha Stewardy…

Ok.. now that I’m over my Martha High.. I thought I show you around the desk too.. and some of the little things there that just brighten my day.

This box houses many of the Photo C.D’s that have accumulated.. that is until I got smart.. and finally bought an external hard drive…. ( Now.. if I could only remember to transfer everything there more often..ugh)…. I like the little birdy on the box..

This makes me smile … It is a lovely gift from a lovely friend. ( Thanks Lori) It is a fancy dancy cube of paper that in theory is to be used for jotting down notes… the problem is.. I just CAN’T bring myself to use it.. It’s just too darn pretty.

Never fear … it is still very useful.. It makes me smile every time I look at it.. and reminds me of the lovely lady that gave it to me.

Next item in the room that is making me absolute happy is yet another gift.. from yet another lovely lady.. ( Thanks Gra)

This Yankee Candle called Kitchen Spice.. makes my knees weak.. I LOVE IT !!! ugh..
I don’t know why but the instant I smell this.. I feel happier!

Speaking of making my day.. I gotta say I love this picture of Mr R and I.

It makes me extremely happy too.

It was taken on a jubilant day for a lot of us.. ( Our Son’s Wedding !)

Next is this month’s book club book..

I finished it the other night

( at 1:00AM !!!) Ugh.

I’ll admit at first it was a little hard for me to get into … but my gosh once things got moving… I couldn’t put it down.

In fact I got home on Friday, around 12 or so…started it at 12:30 … stopped long enough to put on a meal… and didn’t put it down again till the wee hours.

The story seems almost too unimaginable, considering it is non fiction.. Quite a story.. quite a life.

In my opinion.. there really isn’t anything like a good book, and this one was very well written.

Ultimately it is all the little things around you that can just make your day !

I can’t let the day or this post end… without sending heartfelt Birthday wishes to my new Brother in law.. He’s a Diamond Geyser he is..

Hope you had a great day Michael !!

There you have it.. a typical “Nothing” post.

Hope you’re having a great day !!!

Happy New Year !!!! 2012

2012-01-03T23:04:00.008-05:00

As we FINALLY officially bring the holiday season to an end.

I thought I’d give you a recap of some of the fun and frolic we enjoyed as we bid 2011 goodbye… and welcomed 2012

We were invited to my brother ( Nice mug ya got there buddy ) and lovely sister in law’s home.

Early in the evening.. the kids hung out

and the over fifty crowd chit chatted

A LOT !!This is Pauly B…

He is the brother my brother never had..which I guess means he’s my brother too.

My brother from another mother…. Hmmmmm

This is the wonderful… fantabulous…Mr R..

I get to wake up each and every morning to his “Great Hair” and angel breath. YUP…. I am one lucky girl..

Here he and Mrs G banter a bit about the word “ITalian”

and the word… EYE talian

Meanwhile Dante and Nana have a little sit down.

OK.. the truth of the matter is… she grabbed him and squeezed him and probably pinched his cheeks.

He kept her riveted with the story of a kid his age who already has a mustache.

Frankly it shocked him…

I told him that was no big deal at all… why at his age I already had a little starter mustache going of my own.

The boys get geared up for the big count down..

even pretending that the obnoxious noise coming out of those horns was barely audible.

Believe me.. THEY WERE AUDIBLE

Even little Miss here got her horn fired up.

Horn Dante… Horn… If you whistle it’s not quite as effective.

Meanwhile in the peanut gallery… these two birds started knocking out an old EYEtalian toon..

I guess all this singing makes one feel like an all out Italian ROCK STAR !!!

Time was a ticking… and the the countdown began

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!Then it REALLY got crazy in da hood !!

Yes Dante… this IS how we do it… We’re very “ Old School”

AND

Yes….It can be tiring.. but buck up.. you’ll be growing a mustache soon too !

Don’t feel too bad…even poor Nana looked bit shell shocked!Much better!

The following day we had our last visit with Mr R’s Sister and new husband.

Who by the by came down with a nasty cold.. a little bit of beer and a cold capsule or two will do the trick… as is evidence.

(Cold?… what cold? )

Mr R enjoying a bowl of Mad Matt’s

Nightmare Alley Chili #3

While the girls sat and chatted..

We had a great visit with these two..

But I have to admit.. even though we spent a lot of time togther and had a lot of fun ….It STILL wasn’t enough for us. (Yeah … we’re selfish like that..)

It was a great way to end a pretty good year !!

Hope you all were surrounded with friends and family… because after all.. They are the only things that matter.

My wish for all those I love.. and even you out there in Blogland.. Is for 2012 to be filled with Health.. Wealth and most of all Happiness !!

Christmas Part II

2011-12-31T00:09:00.005-05:00

Thought I’d give you the last of the 2011 “Christmas”

I promise…

(Although I am really hoping to get some really juicy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day pics..)

In the mean time we were cordially invited to my Sister in law

( Mr R’s sister ) and her new husband’s home to celebrate Christmas.

They live in England so we don’t get to celebrate with them very often.

It was great getting together.

As you can see.. she has started this marriage off right… Get Get some help in the kitchen whenever possible..

He’s a Diamond Geyser he is..

Mr R and his peanut girl just chillaxing..

She does double duty with the other man in her life.

Speaking of men in our lives.. Grandpa seems pretty happy !

Why wouldn’t he… look at this beautiful table with food starting to pile up on it..Mr R… Being silly..

Ya gotta love a face like that..

Well … Well… Well.. look who seems to have the most gifts…

No wonder he wanted to get things moving along…

Sneaky one he is…

I know..

It’s lovely isn’t it?

Daughter and Father… capturing the moment.

The wine critic seems duly impressed with his gift … courtesy of his Grandson and Granddaughter in North Carolina.

Here’s to ya !!!

Next the newlyweds opened up some gifts..

Maria found these vintage maps…

One of the United States.. and other of downtown London.. How appropriate.

Bly me… these blokes are lovely…

That's not really what he said but in my mind.. That's what I'm sure he'd say....

Would you like some cheese and crackers to go with that whine?… ugh.. I mean wine.

In the same shop that Maria found the vintage maps.. I found a set of gorgeous vintage glasses.. Wine, Martini, and Shot…

I have to admit.. I SO….wanted to keep those buggers for my self.. but.. it’s Christmas..

They're newly married.... I gave in.

Mike and Maria showing off some of their gifts.

While Matt.. well Matt fought the wrap…… and the wrap won..

Finally !!

Mr R admires his lovely English Cap..

Then suddenly got all ghetto on us…hmmmm

After dinner…. Gifts … and desserts..

Some of the crew settled in for a lovely heart warming game of “KING OF TOKYO”.

It’s Christmas … what else would you play?

Legend has it that there is a missing scene from the classic

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

Where George and Mary sit down with Mr Potter and Uncle Billy …in the scene they play this very game..

unfortunately it never made it to the big screen.

Forced to languish on the cutting room floor..

It’ a fact.

Meh… Anyway.. while they pelted each other and regained control of Tokyo…

I sat back with what I was told was a “Proper” cup of English tea.

It was a pretty darn good cup of tea… but....Why is it that after each sip… I felt like I should be saying things like … Ello Govnr… or Pip Pip Cheerio ?!

We had a Wonderful time!! Christmas Part II was one to remember !!

Plans had been made for some of us to meet up again a few days later.. this time for Sushi and a movie..

( Must be all the King of Tokyo they played?)

We ventured out to a place in Brighton called Sagano

Lovely… Lovely Sushi!

I mean we had some of the best sushi I’ve eaten in a long time.

I think the owner was a little surprised at how much we ordered.

Little did he know a certain Brit was stocking up on this stuff….Stocking up as in just enough to fill him.. but not quite enough to kill him.

Maria is preggers.. and not willing to dive into raw fish.

So…

She opted for the Tempura dinner… OMG !!!!
It was a feast for the eyes … as well as the tummy !!

After dinner we waddled over to the theater to see War Horse.

I have to say….The movie is very well done….Some scenes were a bit rough to watch as the horse gets painfully injured, however all in all very good movie.

I give it a rousing two wasabi / ginger laced thumbs up!

I tell you. The Food… The Fun… The Family… The Film.. It all but did me in.

It’s been a great holiday season for sure.. and… It’s not quite over yet.. We are heading over to my brother and sister in laws house for New Year’s Eve.. Followed by Football… Beer and Chili as the main attraction here on Sunday.

It’s not easy trying to pardy hardy at my age…lol

Last of the Parrrrtaaaaaays…

2011-12-18T08:46:00.004-05:00

Holy Moly and sweet baby Jesus..

This has been a year of parrrrtaaays…

Last night was my last Non Family Christmas party before Christmas, and it was a blast.

I thought I’d share some of the fun things and people I have had the pleasure of enjoying the holidays with.

I feel blessed to have each and everyone of them in my life.

* Note. Sorry to say I don’t have any pictures of our annual

Old Friends and Spouse's Party held at Don and Lesley’s.

I had great intentions.. My camera was with me.. but I was having such a good time.. I never got a shot off.. sorry.
(John.. I may have to nab some of yours)

Anyway… I hope everyone of you knows how much I love and care for you … and having you in my life means so much to me..

You have each changed me …. Some even for the better…lol

Merry Christmas and Happy Happy New Year.

This last set of pictures was from last night’s get together…We three kings..( queens) have been gathering for this event for over 20 years..

It’s only fitting that it be the last parrrtay of the season before the family gathers… I had a great time !!

Michael and his girlfriend Kayla stuck around long enough to take a few pictures of us.. so it’s only right I return the favor.

Ya Ya’s lovely tree…

Fake pose of Ya Ya looking at her lovely tree.

Another fake pose this time with Lesley looking at Ya Ya’s lovely tree..

And so it goes… Nala the singing pit bull joined in for some holiday singing..

Tazo Tea !!!

OH…. MY…. GOSH !!.. I LOVE Kitchen Spice

Panera Gift card… do these girls know me or what?

So… so… true.. Being together IS… the best gift ever.

Ya Ya looks genuinely surprised !

Lesley actually wanted an American Girl Doll.. Too Bad..lol

In the end I think? they were happy…

After all they had a girls gone wild moment.

The rest of the night was filled with a lot of relaxing … talking… and Bailey’s.. (Which probably caused a lot of the talking…)

We even wore out poor Nala..

It was a great night…

I feel SO SO blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life… A lot weren’t even pictured.. but you mean the world to me.

Tell the ones you love .. how much you loved them.. They are our greatest blessing in life.

Merry Christmas everyone !!

Miss Michigan… or… My Two Best Friends.

2011-12-13T15:14:00.005-05:00

I swear I should be crowned Miss Michigan..Not.. But because I have any beauty..

Hah…Please.

But because ….Just like the weather in Michigan….I can experience both Extreme Hot… and…Extreme Cold all within the same hour. .

Thank You Menopause.

Note however…it’s not just the ever lovin merry go round going on in hormone land..

It’s the weather here in the mit as well.

Yesterday was a good example.. I woke up to frost on the car. Enough that it required gloves and needed to be scraped in order to have decent visibility… by midday it was in the 40’s the heat forcing me to peel off the layers of clothing I had on…ugh.

Really?… then we wonder why everywhere we go.. we hear people sniffling sneezing and hacking up a lung.

This in mind.. I would like to introduce you to my two best friends at work.. Fanny T Fan.. and Henrietta Consuelo Alvarez Heater.

( She’s a little hot thing from South America)

They help me cope with the ever changing thermostat in my body… and the constant barometric conditions I live in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well then...

Now that you know I have issues regulating my body temp … AND… that I name inanimate objects, I think I’ve said enough for one day.

(What can I say...it's a slow news day...)

Ok.. That is all.. Have a good day !!

Catching Up Is Hard To Do…..

2011-12-11T20:03:00.002-05:00

Thought I’d catch you up on my whirlwind week..

First off my gift exchange night with the gals went great…

I always enjoy getting together with these three amigos..but a night involving Dinner… Drinks and gifts only ups the fun and frolic.

Dinner was great.. the ~~drinks~~ drink went down smooth.. and as usual one or more of us ended up saying something ridiculously funny resulting in laughter and snorting..

( OK.. I admit..I did the snorting) but I can’t help it.. once something strikes me funny..it’s no holds barred.

Thank You ladies for my lovely thoughtful gifts.

Thank You for an absolutely great evening, and most important of all Thank You for your friendship… It means more to me than I can express.

Ok… enough of the sappy stuff..

NEXT….

ONE WICKED NIGHT !!!

That’s what we had…

After our dinner at Sweet Lorraine’s we were off to the Detroit Opera House..

The Show was GREAT !!

I have to give it to whoever thought up this plot..

I mean a prequel of how the witches become who they are as well as filling in the blanks on the back story of the Scarecrow,Tin man and Cowardly Lion… THEN….putting it all to music is frankly genius!

I had forgotten how truly beautiful the Opera House is.

As I sat in my seat and looked all around me… I couldn’t help but wonder at what this place was like back in the 1920’s during it’s heyday.

I swear sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era.. but then I remember how much I love the internetz.. and I say yeah.. I’m fine right where I am.

Again… another spectacular evening out !with yet another set of 3 wonderful women…They are some of the most important chicks in my life…

A girl could get used to this..

It was a great night.

We all got home pretty late.. and all had to get up pretty early.. but in my book.. it was SOOO worth it.

Thank You Maria for organizing this shindig….and…Thank You Nancy and Lina for helping make the memories that night.

Lastly I leave you with a cute picture I took with my little purse size Nikon. ( gosh I love that thing) if for nothing else having it handy to capture things like this..

It’s not a particularly great picture.. and doesn’t have any deep meaning…I don’t know why?… but it just makes me happy.

Maybe it’s because it looks like a giant group of friends.. all just hanging out.
Lord knows.. I like that..

So….Hope you’re week/ weekend was filled with happiness… fun and friends.

Now..Get out there and make some memories.

We’re Off to see the Witches… The wonderful Witches of Wicked !!

2011-12-06T16:54:00.009-05:00

Yes it’s true..

In the midst of all this Holiday Hullabaloo, Some of us gals are going to see the musical Wicked !!

I aye aye I … I am so excited!

From what I’ve heard about this play... it’s supposed to be absolutely Fantabulous!

Thursday evening we’re off on our brooms to the Detroit Opera House!

On Snippy:Nancy…( She’s a hairdresser)

On Preggo: Maria…( She is Preggo )

On Cleaner: Lina ….( She’s a Dental Hygienist)

On Droopy: Me…. ( Umm… Never mind)

Into the Ford Flex pile them in one and all…

Now Dash away Dash away Dash away… Dash away all.

Can you tell.. I’m giddy?!

Needless to say if this play is anywhere as good as Phantom… I’ll be singing the tunes for the next 3 weeks. I hope to fill you in on all the Shenanigans.

Speaking of Witches…Tonight I am going out with three of my favorite ( Good) Witches.

There’ll be Good Friends….Good Eats…a little holiday cheer and maybe even a couple of gifts, which means this should amount to a pretty great evening.

Thought I’d post my wrapping job on their gifts

Not too shabby huh?…

I tip my hat to you Dollar Tree.. Your lovely little glitter reindeer did just the trick as decorations on these packages..as does the sweet butterfly.. It will add a nice touch for someone sweet.

(She knows it’s hidden meaning.)

Now.. Just to let you know….I don’t wrap ALL my gifts this fancy dancy.

Just the ones for my special little witches or as in this case.. the flying monkeys.. ( I kid.. I kid…)

Well my pretties… Meatloaf is in the oven for Mr R and Mamma.

I have to start getting ready

(What can I say… It takes a Village.)

Night All !!

That Christmas Feeling All Over The Place !!

2011-11-30T23:03:00.006-05:00

OK..

So I know this is not a “True” post.. but I thought since we had been on the topic of Christmas decorations.. I thought I’d share my small ( very small ) attempt at making my cubicle at work seem a little bit merrier.

THIS … is what I have dangling just over my head..

And THIS:

Is on the wall just behind me.

Ahhh Yes…. Nothing gives you more Holiday Happiness than some Glitter Reindeer and Christmas balls..(right?)

Well then... now that I've made your day so much brighter.

My Job is done.

Carry On.

Christmas Tour 2011

2011-11-27T20:59:00.005-05:00

Hey all !!

Since I actually had the camera in my hands again at Thanksgiving.. I decided I was going to try and keep up with the picture taking…( stop laughing)

So I thought why not give the 2011 Christmas house tour via photos.

Many years ago my mother in law, sister in law and I would go on the local Christmas house tours , We just loved being able to walk around in peoples homes to see how they decorated for the season.

Often the houses were in pretty fancy schmancy neighborhoods.

We would float through these magazine like places … dreaming of what it would be like to live in beautiful homes like those.

In fairness some of the homes on the tour were much much older, and had a more shall we say “rustic” look.

These homes were often on the tour because of some historical point of interest.. either way, I am not ashamed to say I LOVE being a voyeur into how people live…their surroundings and how they decorated their personal space.

So even though my home has not been chosen to be on my towns’ Christmas Home Tour… and … I do not live in a Fancy Schmancy neighborhood… nor does my home have any particular historical significance…(other than it is old)

I will give you the tour anyway…

So…Please take your shoes off at the door (that’s what we had to do on these tours… lovely grey haired old ladies at the door would give you a plastic bag to put your shoes in if you were a newbie and hadn’t brought your own.)

Let’s start in the Lady Den since that’s where I am right now..

I have tried to put at least one thing in each room that brings out the holiday season..

Admittedly this room is a little sparse on the holiday cheer..however I do have a small little clip on bird on the outside of the birdcage, as well as my cute little mod wire Christmas Tree.

I’m thinking I might put some red and gold balls ornaments inside the cage to spice it up a bit. Whatcha Think?

On to the Master bath.

There is only one item in here that has any Christmas feel.. and it is the handy dandy all purpose tree branch.. that doubles as a Bat Tree at Halloween.. and an Easter Egg Tree at Easter.

I like the look..and the functionality.

Good Job Melissa and Martin.. Wedding Centerpieces that keep on giving.

Next stop the Master Bedroom.

Here we have Wino Santa.. I call him that because the only thing keeping him propped up, is a bottle of wine under his skirt.I know that sentence didn’t sound good.. but it’s true.

*NOTE that is his purpose.. Wine Bottle Cover.. I am not a Santa Sicko

A dear friend of mine gave me this cute holiday decoration many years ago and I just LOVE him.
Again, we have here another example of a piece that is both decorative and functional.

You may remember him being in the kitchen last year.. he’s found a new home this year on our dresser.

*Bottle of wine in the bedroom mere coincidence?… I think not ; )

Speaking of the kitchen.. let’s move on and see what we have waiting for us in there...

On the ledge over the sink… we have Two Tiny Reindeer. and a cool (Love Love Love this color) burgundy tree.

*Ooooh.. Shiny !

Also on the counter a new piece.

A snowman plate.. Love this guy..

I’ve mentioned before that Mr R used to play trumpet in high school…Perhaps I bought it because subliminally I think it kinda reminds me of him.. not to mention he was a steal from Home Goods..( The Plate … not Mr R )

I will tell you here and now.. I am an admitted Home Goods & Hobby Lobby freak. My addiction to these two establishments has gone far beyond my control.

I hear the first step is admitting you have a problem..

I don’t know….

I keep repeating over and over again..

I can stop anytime!

And just when I think I have it licked, some shiny object catches my eye. drawing me closer and closer .. sweetly whispering my name.. begging me to take it home.

I guess I’m doomed.

I won’t burden you any further with my issues.. let’s continue on the tour..

I am happy to say this urn is old…the Christmas ornaments are old..and the charger underneath is once again an item from Martin and Melissa’s Wedding that I have been able to reuse.

SCORE !

Yo Yo-ing now to a new item…

I found these two giant glass ornaments at Target..

There I said ..

I saw them..

I bought them

and

I am OK with it.

One step at a time.The mantle is pretty much the same as last year. Except for the feathery looking greenery on top.

It is from Hobby Lobby… I really like the “light ” look of it.

Stockings all hung..

( Ever notice that the colors of Christmas are also the colors of the Italian Flag?)

Just saying.

Here we have our good old Snowman family..

Since Our fireplace is a two way style.. I have to show you the other side as well.

I like the way it turned out…again I do think the new greenery looks quite natural.

Speaking of looking natural…

I cut some fresh greenery from one of our pines and placed them around the outside..

I love the smell of fresh pine right by the front door.

Too bad the internetz doesn’t have Smellovision.

Back inside.. we have the sleigh that holds our incoming Christmas cards.. If you can you believe it we have already received our first Christmas Card !!

The Tax man … Thinkath ahead !

In the dining room…

Underneath this small cabinet, the depression glass holds some festive ornaments.

As do the other tall curio cabinets

Last but not least, We have a lovey new violin playing angel, and two burgundy candle holders..

There you have it.. some of the old..

mixed in with the new.

While I love the way it all comes together to give the house a warm Holiday feel, it will be the friends and family that will gather here filling it with love and laughter that really make the Holiday special.

Thus endth the tour… as you exit the rear and begin to put your shoes back on please hand the lady your bag…

Happy Holidays !!!

Thanksgiving… 2011

2011-11-27T14:50:00.004-05:00

Ahhh Thanksgiving..

You gotta love it.. It is mainly the celebration of gratitude for all that we have.. for the great land we live in.. for the love of family and friends .. and of course FOOD !!

Lots and lots of food !!

Every year my brother and sister in law host Thanksgiving mainly because my nephew was born (11 years ago) on Thanksgiving. (It's kind of a two for one if you will )

This year was no different.. these are the pilgrims that set out the feast for our Thanksgiving celebration.

They still act like young and in love whipper snappers..

Guys… guys.. For the love of all that is holy…. get a room !

Speaking of young whipper snappers.. my father in law was also in attendance .. ready to raise a glass.

While on the topic of celebrating..

this year in March there will be a LOT to celebrate.

Both Maria and Erin are expecting…( a week apart !! )

Can you believe THIS young face belongs to a soon to be Grandpa?…

This was to be a double celebration..

Thanksgiving and…

Thanksgiving.. for Luca’s birth !!

Everyone enjoyed each other’s company… & all were in a good mood..

everyone except....

This guy…

Look…

We all gotta go sometime right? It was just his time.

He was delicious !!

as were his compatriots..

Ham and pasta..

( What?… pasta could have been at the first Thanksgiving ! )

Mashed and Sweet Potatoes cranberries and dressing

The works…

As usual everything was GREAT !!

Don’t let this steely exterior fool you..

inside she is wiggling with delight

As are these two..

These two have not yet quite grasped the concept of masking the emotions.

And so….the event that takes a week to get ready for.. was over in 20 minutes..

The tryptophan kicked in right away.

Some worked off the meal by racing cars..

some just relaxed the bellies with T.V and the internetz.

Others cold crashed on sofa contact.

Once everyone had a chance to recuperate…it was time for phase II of Operation carbs..or..
Luca’s Birthday cake!

The Brothers were geared up.. locked and loaded ready to roll.

I’m sorry but aren’t they the cutest bunch of knuckle heads you’ve ever seen?

Everyone was giving Luca some love.

Uncle Marty… putting the “LOVE SQUEEZE” on Luca..

you can see how much Luca enjoys it.

If I am being totally honest here… (and I’m not)

It was a pretty violent birthday this year for Luca.

First the “LOVE SQUEEZE” from Uncle Marty… Then round II with the sucker punch from the Dad..

Not to worry… Luca is as strong as an ox…

And got his licks in as well.

When the clowning was done… the important part began..

Dante was pretty impressed with Luca’s lung capacity.

This kid’s smile just kills me..

Luca .YOU are our favorite part of Thanksgiving !!

All these people seem to think so too !

The over 50 crowd kinda likes you too.. they raise an empty glass in your honor.

Gino and friend pull off to the side and take it all in.

After dinner Mike and Maria joined the party… ( they alternate as do my sister and her family… so dinner was at Mike’s parents home this year)

They got there in time for the birthday celebration… I’d say they have impeccable timing…

Getting there just as the sweets were being served

Apparently Mike needed something sweet to tide him over.

Like I said before… PEOPLE…GET A ROOM !!

So there you have it.. our wild and wacky family’s idea of Thanksgiving..

I am pretty grateful for them all !!

Thanks again Gino and Nancy… I know it’s a lot of hard work.. but every year you do a great job..

Rest In Peace Jim

2011-11-16T15:51:00.001-05:00

The Long Good Bye.

2011-11-12T23:38:00.003-05:00

My day didn’t start off very easily..

You see… yesterday after work I set off to run some errands. The main one being, picking up Mamma’s meds at the pharmacy that… was a must do,however the rest of the afternoon was going to be ALL mine!

The mall was calling my name and my list of early Christmas shopping though not physically written on paper, was mentally noted inside my head.My route was all mapped out for the optimal shopping experience.

Instead while stopped at a light, my friend’s face popped into my head and a recent conversation.

A couple of nights prior, she shared with some us (her friends) the updated condition of her husband who has been on dialysis for several years.

It was not good news.

J her husband of 30+ years has been growing weaker and weaker..as they both held out hope against hope that he might be able to have a life saving kidney transplant.

That sadly did not happen and in the process, the constant wear and tear on his body has brought him to his current state.

My friend bravely told us that at some point very soon,he would probably decide to stop dialysis.

This choice would bring his time with us here to a swift end. She also explained that she too had come to terms with having to honor his decision.

That conversation replayed in my mind as I sat there waiting for the light to change.. and in a blink of an eye all my plans changed..I was sitting in the parking lot of a once vibrant now vacant Chrysler Dealership..dialing my friend’s number.. I can’t really explain why all of a sudden it was so important to call her, I just knew I had to and did.

My new plan being that if they were home… I would finally get over there and visit with them.. something I am ashamed to say, I had been putting off for quite a while.

The phone rang and rang.. and finally their machine clicked in..I wasn’t detoured, I left my message in hopes that they would call me back soon.

Shopping suddenly didn’t seem so important. I headed home still hoping I would get a call.

It wasn’t until 9:00 p.m. that evening that I heard T’s voice on the other end..her weariness was palpable on the line.

She apologized for not calling sooner, but explained she and J had had a particularly long and hard day. I thought perhaps she was referring to all the family members & visitors they have had streaming through their home, instead she told me that (11/11/11) was going to be J’s last dialysis treatment.

I sat for a moment dumbfounded, not knowing quite what to say.We both knew what this meant.

In spite of the heaviness in HER heart, she relieved the tension and simply said. He’s at peace with his decision.

I managed to mumble out my sympathy to her, grateful that she could not see me fight back the tears pooling in my eyes… and the lump in my throat.

What do you say to someone who is going to ( in the very near future) lose her husband… best friend and life companion?

Hospice had been called in and has already managed to give a great deal of information, help and support to this family… Her daughter has also made the decision to stay with her parents at this time.

I explained that when I called earlier in the day.. In the pit of my stomach,I intuitively knew that something was going on.. and with this feeling came a sense of urgency to see them both.

I asked if she thought she and J would up to yet another visitor in the morning. She said she thought it would be ok.. depending of course on how J was feeling. I promised to call before going over.

This morning.. I had to make good on my promise.

I am not going to lie… I DID NOT want to go.

What do you say to someone knows that very soon, they are going to die?

A person who’s love of life was so blatantly obvious that it had no where else to escape but through his beautiful sparkling blue eyes.

This battle must have been harder than anyone could know…because the same life loving person had come to that point where enough… is .. enough.

I woke up early this morning.. not really having had a good night’s sleep.. worrying about saying the wrong thing… worrying about breaking down and crying.. worrying that I didn’t have the innards to make this trip.

I sat in the lady den alone for a long time.. and suddenly it dawned on me.. If J and T had the courage to face the ultimate and long good bye.. I could strap on pair of balls and at least have the decency to show some support.

I had not forgotten the kindness they had always shown to me and my family especially Mamma.. I had not forgotten that over so many years T had grown to become a good friend, (Even though I tease her unmercifully to the contrary) I had not forgotten that when MY father died and in my time of grief,she was there for me.

I made the call… and went …

There before me, sitting on the couch, was my physically worn and weary friend. T sat next to him worn and weary as well.. trying to be as upbeat as possible.

Already the effects of his failing organs were evident.

Face and Feet puffy and swollen,finger tips ulcerated from lack of circulation. He sat nodding off and on as pain meds

( gratefully )

finally started to kick in.I thought to my self.. Who is this man?

Thinking he was sleeping.. I tried to lighted things up a bit with T.. making some off color joke. ( What can I say humor is the only tool I have in good times and in bad )

Suddenly out of nowhere… there he was again..The old J… His head bobbed up… and the biggest smile streaked across his face. Apparently he wasn’t asleep, had heard my little crack and thought it was funny.

But.. it was his eyes.. his beautiful blue blue eyes that really got me.. for that brief moment we were just three old friends sitting in their living room… laughing at something naughty that I (as usual) said.

I could see that even though it was relatively early in the day.. both of them were exhausted and still had the entire day to get through. I knew it was time to say good bye.

I could feel my vocal chords starting to fail me.. followed closely by my tear ducts. but somehow we got through it. J once again said he was ready and at peace.

I gave them both a hug.. and said to J

You know it’s really like being at a train station, waiting for the train to come.. knowing that when that train finally gets here… those doors will open up and that train is going to take you away from so many people that you love…and so we all wait with you at the platform..until that time comes.. but it’s hard.. it is so so hard to say good bye.

But for you J… the wonderful.. beautiful.. ultimately HOLY part is.. that when those doors open again. There will be before you, a crowd of jubilant, smiling people who have been ecstatically waiting for you to join them, and every tear you have shed at the thought of leaving us here, will be wiped away.

As for us.. we WILL be sad and… it will be hard.

However…When our train comes for us.. (as of course we all know it will) Though we my not know the when or the how of it.

I find comfort knowing that, that great smile and those beautiful blue eyes will be there to welcome us home.

God Bless You both.. You are loved.

She’s Got BOY on the brain !!!!

2011-11-03T15:46:00.006-04:00

Ok.. If I'm being totally honest…

It isn’t just birds on the brain..or.. blue(backgrounds) on the brain..I also have BOY on the brain..

Yup !!

It’s official, Mike and Maria are having a boy !!

Whoo Hoo !!

I mean look how much he’s grown !!!

I can not begin to explain how surreal this all is.

Yesterday the kids had their gender identification appointment, and more important, a concise test of how things are progressing in that warm fuzzy place our grandchild lives in.

All I can say is :….Thank You Jesus... Mary..... Joseph.....all the angels and saints,that so far everything is progressing really great.

Finding out the sex of the baby was just the extra special treat to top things off.

This brings things so much closer to heart for me. I mean… now we can call IT a Him.

( He even has a name that I won’t share yet … in case it changes!)

While Maria can already feel him fluttering about…Soon we too will all be able to share this wondrous thing as we watch and feel him wiggling about…repositioning as he grows bigger and bigger.

It is truly a miracle happening right before our eyes and serves to remind me what beautiful thing motherhood is.

Only now it’s MY baby having a baby.. and this leaves my brain thunderstruck!

This kid isn’t even born yet and I am in love…

I also think I’m in trouble !!

She’s Got Birds On The Brain…

2011-11-02T14:38:00.007-04:00

Well...

What say Ye?...

Do you like the new look of the blog background?

I thought I'd change things up a bit since I happen to be in a bit of a bird mode.

As is also evidence in my latest acquisition.

I mean there I was meandering down the isles of Home Goods. ( A.k.a my crack store) and there it was. the final piece of the wall puzzle.

What are the chances of me finding a piece like this?

So… in spite of being on the prowl for Christmas gifts… I ended up nabbing this bird in a birdcage, because I had the feeling .. You know the one I’m talking about … the little voice in your head that says.. “HEY DUMMY….YOU BETTER GET THIS NOW.. OR IT WILL BE GONE ! “

I hate that little voice… but more often than not it’s right.

There is nothing worse than going back to get something you really wanted or knew was perfect only to have it be gone..

One of the last things I think I need to make the Lady Den complete is a small stand for the T.V. right under the two collages of the birds…… with some cubbies baskets for storage.

Oh and a lamp..

OH MAN do I ever need a good lamp ! Can’t read worth a lick in here after the sun goes down.

Little by little it is coming together.

In the mean time I really need to focus on Christmas Shopping ! not house decorating shopping.

I was done so early last year and I LOVED it !

There is nothing quite like the feeling of having everything up and decorated..The gifts bought and wrapped …as you sit by the fire and listen to Christmas Music.

OR… as in my case...

All of the above PLUS .. obsessing about what or who I may or may not have forgotten..

Ugh… Just can’t win.

Anyway….

I’m really going to try and have a repeat of getting it all done early, so I can enjoy the holidays..

Until then… May the Birds be with you.

Happy 30th Anniversary !!!

2011-10-24T17:08:00.004-04:00

That’s right folks.. Mr R and I have been married for 30 years !!

I sit here dumbfounded.. How did 30 + years flash before me?

I mean it seems like only yesterday I was dashing from my 2nd floor locker to strategically position myself in the hall near the Band Room door..

( Mr R played a mean trumpet in his day )

where I would pretend not to watch as he goofed with his friends.

As soon as the 1st warning bell would sound, I would hope to get one last lustful glimpse of him as he went into class..

(this would have to last me until lunch hour the next day)

each time silently praying I would somehow make it to the 3rd floor and my English Class before the final bell.. I wasn’t always successful.

Cripe between the 2 1/2 mile walk to school

( Up Hill …both ways !)

and this crazy Stairmaster romance. it's little wonder I was a lot thinner then.

Yes.. ours is the story of:

Boy doesn’t meet Girl –

Girl pines the hallways of local school-

Boy crushes on girls neighbor-

Girl relishes the serendipitous day they meet at neighbors house-

Boy FINALLY figures out he likes Girl better then the Vegan chick across the street –

Girl feverishly looks for way to keep Boy alive while meeting old fashion Italian family

and the rest is history.. Just your everyday romance.

But I digress.. Here is a little glimpse into the wonderful day we had in celebration of 30th Wedding Anniversary.

First off.. we slept in.. well I guess sleeping in is relative. I mean when you are usually up at 5:00-5:30 7:00 is sleeping in.

Our first stop was in and around our old stopping grounds..

brunch was at one of our favorites…

It’s been there forever and a day.

We don’t get there very often any more simply because of the distance.

Literally a little hole in the wall type place but…

They make the most AMAZING omelets.

AMAZING

Anything you order is sure to be good.. whether it’s sweet or savory.

Today’s pick for both of us was… The Farmer’s

So worth the trip !!

The next stop on our whirlwind day,was Fairlane Town Center.. Located next to the University of Michigan Dearborn, and virtually across from the Henry Ford Estate.

Fairlane was one of the first state of the art shopping centers in this area.

Today since we had some time to kill before check in to our little anniversary get away.. we decided to browse through the place to get some Christmas ideas

(This is a picture of me pretending to be browsing & enjoying the shopping experience.)
The truth of matter is.. we enjoyed people watching so much more than shopping.

In what seems to be a trend lately… The Christmas decorations were already up..

People.. what ever happened to celebrating the holidays

One at a time?

Can I get an AMEN?

I’ll admit … it was very pretty…

and from what little I could see of it, Santa’s Wonderland is going to be Off the chain.

Ironically while the mood inside was kicking it holiday style. Outside the weather was so beautiful and fall like

low 60’s with lots of beautiful autumn flowers all around the mall.

The place had changed a bit since I had been there last, but it still had that super charged feeling a good mall has. It almost made me want to relive my younger days and get a Merle Norman Make Over, and try on some Candies shoes.

(Wow cue funky 70’s music … Can you hear him? Yes that’s Peter Frampton playing in the background )

One last stop.. and that is

WESTBORN MARKET.

Now THIS place had changed A LOT since I had been there last.

Once a tiny little shop on the corner of Michigan Ave and Oakwood Blvd..

Somewhere between 1979 and 2011 they expanded..and I mean EXPANDED !

I guess those things kind of happen in 30 years..

This place has it all ! Next time I am in Dearborn I am going to stop in again only,I will take time to REALLY take in all that they sell.

But for today.. with our bottled water and snackies in tow we were off to…..

The Dearborn Inn.

Mr R.

Being who he is ( Mr Romance ) booked a overnight package deal for us,which included a nights stay at the GOREOUS Dearborn Inn, a massage at

breakfast room service or breakfast buffet in the Edison room.

We opted for the Edison room

and…

Oh… My…. Gosh !!!!!!

Beautiful room.

Wonderful food

Excellent Staff.

I cannot express how nice it all was !!

This historic Inn was the nation’s First Airport Hotel.

In 1937, it became the nation’s first hotel to have air conditioning and in 1961, it was the first hotel in Michigan to install a direct-dial telephone system for guests
Ol Hank thought of everything..

The interior is just beautiful !

So elegant

and stately.

I tell you….. Every time I passed this desk in the foyer… I racked my brain trying to think of a way to abscond with it.

I imagine Mr Ford probably had a similar desk of his own….You know a place to store petty cash…. Exactly the same reason I needed it… * Cough * Cough .

Our room was lovely…. The king size bed was even lovelier.

It was the first thing Mr R did… plop down and relished the feeling of relaxation.

The only issue I had was that there was a man in our room…Old Henery himself.

You can tell that this is defiantly FORD country.

We still had some time before our couples massage, so Mr R perused Ask the Locals Detroit book ( Probably hatching future adventures cause that’s how he rolls )

I on the other hand sat down in one of the most comfortable chairs made.. dreaming of what my massage was going to be like… dreaming of how nice it was I didn’t have cook, clean, or audit anything, dreaming of ways to live in this room with room service forever.

Just outside our window, we saw the staging for a wedding that was going to take place on the grounds..

It wasn’t lost on me that a happy couple was going to be wed on the same weekend that Mr R and I were..and it all came back to me then.

OUR day.. and how happy we were.

I don’t know who the lucky couple were, but on this their wedding day, I could only secretly wish for them the the kind of marriage & happiness I have found.

As I heard the gentle snoring of my amore' on the bed next to me..

I thanked God for the happiness we have shared and for getting us through the not so happy times as well.

But now.. it was time to wake his butt up…

The moment we had been waiting for..

Our couples massage !!!

WHOO HOO !!!!

Of course I do not have any pictures of this here.. I mean come on.. I don’t mind sharing but … that might be a bit much.

However….I will share with you a funny thing.

As we were being called back into the room, the young man Jason and a lovely young lady Andrea, told us they would be giving us our massages.. as they shut the door behind us so that we could get into place, I said to Mr R..

"The guy kept looking at me as if he was going to be the one giving me my massage."

So?

“I DO NOT want a guy giving me my massage !!!”

Mr R said why not?

I couldn’t really give him a good answer.. I just didn’t feel comfortable with it.

But it was too late.. they came back to the room and sure enough… the young woman went to Mr R’s side of the room and Jason came over to me.

I’m sure he could feel the tension in my body…In fact I KNOW he could since he said.

“ WOW … you are really holding a lot of tension .”

No kidding ....some young dude I don't even know is padding & pawing away at me..

But…Let me just say here and now..

By the time the massage was over.. I had a new best friend… and his name is Jason.

When that (All TOO SHORT ) hour was over.. I was like Butta in his hands.

SERIOUCSLY if you are anywhere near Dearborn and OM spa.. Ask for Jason. The man has magic hands ( and not in a dirty way either )

I think he has ruined me, I can never go back woman after this. ( masseur that is )

All I wanted to do was sleep after the amazing massage I had.. but we still had lots to do..

It was time for dinner and tonight it was at

I didn’t think the day could keep going as good as it had been but it did..

Our mouth watering meal consisted of :

Grilled Artichokes

Blue Cheese encrusted Filet Mignon & Potatoes

and as if that all weren’t enough.. we also split a little slice of heaven.. carrot cake

( my fav )

with …

Breath In…..

WARM cream cheese frosting !!!

Now I had my camera with me.. but because the food was so out of this world good.. I completely forgot to get some shots..so

You will just have to believe me when I tell that if I were on death row and I had one last meal.. THAT would have been it.

( Although I might have to add some shrimp too you know if it really was my last meal and all )

Our next stop was a movie… The Ides of March.

Not exactly a romantic movie.. but a good one, and that was good enough for me.. because by the time it was all said and done the day had just about did me in…

In spite of Mr R planning more of the evening to include music and martini’s

We agreed that although the night was relatively young… we are not..

so it was back to our little love den.

Too bad Mr R doesn't have his trumpet anymore..

When I really think about it all…

I feel like we have known each other since we were little kids.

I hope and pray we will be blessed with many more years of this kind of love.

I always say:

Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery. God has been good to me !!!

Thank You Mr R ..

For the wonderful memorable day

For the wonderful memorable life.

Maria : Happy Squeaky Clean Birthday !!

2011-10-17T06:08:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was Maria’s Birthday.

Yep… My baby turned 26

Unbelievably… My baby is having a baby.

Ugh… Where did the time go?

We did the usual birthday gig… Lunch/Brunch at the restaurant of the birthday person’s choosing.

In this case Station 885 in Plymouth..YUM!

You gotta love a place that has a buffet.

Everything from Eggs Benedict to Lasagna.

Maria’s oldest buddy /sister I never gave birth to.

Came by to help celebrate.

After we all gorged ourselves at brunch, we came back to the house,rested our bellies for a bit

enjoyed each others company

and then got ready for some more gorging on cake and ice cream.

Cause that’s how we roll.

We sang Happy Birthday

She made her wish, and blew out the candles.

I gotta say… We are all pretty happy for her…

You know turning 26 and all.

How do feel about it Laurel?

(Laurel’s thought bubble)

“Man that’s old !!”

What about you Heather?

Maria?

Alrighty then.

It’s not nice to smirk about a woman getting older ya know.

(Gino’s thought bubble)

I WISH I was still 26 !

(Lina’s thought bubble )

“26?…. I haven’t seen 26 in a for ever !”

( Mamma’s thought bubble )

26?… Mamma Mia.. we gotta say a rosary !!

Maria: “What evva…. I’m cool with 26.. I just might not be so fine with 29!”

Me: “What evva indeed… Birthday Schmirthday… let’s get some work done around here!”

“Ok.. Laurel & Luca…

You guys work on training the dog.”

“ That’s right you heard me…Maybe one day she’ll be on the Ed Sullivan Show.. oh wait he’s dead. Um.. just train her, we’ll fine a show to feature her act.”

“Jenna & Dante.. You guys start working on the leaves.”

Don’t act so happy about this…

Maria: “Yeah when I was your age Jenna.. She made me to do this kind of stuff ALL the time… Frankly I don’t know how I survived….. I gotta say, it doesn’t help that you’re wearing a Michigan State tee shirt, You’re lucky she isn’t making you scrub toilets.”

“Just smile and act like it doesn’t bug you.”

Thata Girl.

How’s the training going?

Wow… she learned how to bite a stick.. Such progress !

That’s good Dante.. put your back into it.

That’s what I like to see.. Child labor with a (fake)smile.

EVERY BODY has a job to do… So.. getter done.

Maria: Come on guys.. let’s just act like we love this stuff…and maybe just maybe she’ll ease off.

Wow.. she’s ready for the road tour… look at the way she holds that stick..the grace… the agility.. amazing.

Let’s face it.. you guys got off easy.

Ok… break time.. go and enjoy yourselves for a bit.

(Laurel’s thought bubble)

Nana’s rosary is working !!!!! Hallelujah !!!!

Not so fast..

Fun Time is over..Back to work.. yah Mules !

Good job Jenna.. that’s the way to direct things..

Jenna: “Dante you vacuum… I’ll hit the windows.”

On to the indoors…

What can I say… they like windows.

Not EVRYONE was on work duty….

Gino: (A.k.a Mr Sunshine)

Work?… Back Off !

Like I said… Some people took it a bit easy.

In all fairness.. Maybe they’re just saying a rosary?

( Luca’s thought bubble )

I can’t believe we’re doing this….

(Laurel’s thought bubble)

Poor Maria…..I don’t know how she made it to 26!

(Dante’s thought bubble)

How many window’s are there in this house anyway ?

(Jenna’s thought bubble)

Tell me about it… AND mirrors !!

What are you guys complaining about?

Laurel and I are gonna leave smelling like Lemon oil !

Yeah.. and we don’t mean that in a good way !

Ok.. Ok.. one last job… get that front porch swept and we’ll call it a day.

Me: See honey.. wasn’t that the best way to spend a birthday?… enjoying quality time with those you love? AND… getting a little work done around the house.

(MY HOUSE !)

My thought bubble…

Thank You Sweet Jesus. that was a brilliant idea..

Hmmm. Find a way to get others to do the work FOR YOU !!!Muahahahahaha.. My Mamma didn’t raise no fool.

Yah.. we needa to say a rosary for a her… she’sa crazy.

Happy Birthday Peanut…

We LOVE you !!!

* Please note*

No Children small animals or pregnant people were harmed in the pursuit of this post.

That is all

Now Go Make Some Memories !!

Good Bye Joe Pesce... You will be missed.

2011-10-14T16:07:00.008-04:00

It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that..

Joe Pesce has moved on to the next great fish bowl in the sky....

He hadn't been himself lately....

barely moving around.

Not rushing to the surface for his food....

and after a while...

not at all.

Now...I find it so odd that every time I pass by and look on the counter..

No Joe Pesce.

Ugh.

However...

I am not going to dwell on him being gone, rather I will remember him in better days when he first came to live with us,when he floated literally in a cloud of bubbles.

Read about it HERE

Back in the day....he lived in the Lady Den.

But was moved to the master bath during the renovation.

He'd adjusted pretty well to the new surroundings,often playfully dodging his own image in the mirror,and seemed to be thriving.

However....

Almost overnight.. he started his decline.

He joins his fellow fine finned comrades Rich Rod and

Charlie Gibson, who also left this world all too early.

Maybe I should have kept him in the new digs..

(It did turn out pretty nice.)

Maybe I should have gotten him a bigger bowl after his other home

broke.

Maybe I should have gotten him another fish friend to keep him more mentally stimulated.

( I just couldn't commit )

Maybe he felt slighted that I didn't put him back on the desk with me,instead (banishing?) him to the Loo.

Who knows....

Maybe it was just his time.

I just can't second guess myself..

I did my best...

I DID MY BEST !!!!!

Farewell Joe Pesce.. You WILL be missed

*Is it bad that I concentrated more on the before and after pictures of the lady Den during the writing of this post?

Off To The Rusty Belt !

2011-10-09T11:15:00.010-04:00

On a bit of a roll here as far as going out and looking for new fun things..

This Saturday was no different, Maria had mentioned reading a recommendation of a blogger she follows to visit ,

The Rusty Belt in Ferndale.

The Rusty Belt is a combination of Flee Market/Etsy Shop/ and…Your Gramma’s Basement.

I liked it..

As soon as you walk into the place you can’t help but notice the interesting lighting.

Everywhere I looked, suspended from the ceiling were these cool looking globes made up of mesh and branches. It all made for a dramatic look.

Obviously at some point there is entertainment.

Unfortunately there was no live gig going on while we were there…meh

We kept busy, looking at all the things.. as well as looking at people looking at all the things..

I gotta say, there were A LOT of things to look at.

Interesting things.

Odd things

Even a few kinda scary things.

This thing made me think of HBO’s True Blood.

Some things were …. kinda hip & cool

Other things, were kinda cute.

Some things were down right …. AMAZING!

This super nice lady told us how she donated over 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love.

At one point her hair was down to her knees!

She also let me in on the fact that her husband’s hair is ALMOST as long as hers !!

Oh by the way…

Happy Anniversary you two long haired love birds.. it will soon be 43 years they are together!

This guy and his dogs were just killing us…

The amazing aroma of hot dogs and all the fixins... were just too hard to resistHere is another one of those darn branch lights..

HD TV’s…You know…

Three dimensional viewing.Well Well…looky here.. I’d been looking for a 50 ft. Coca-Cola for ages.. and Bam.. There it was !!

All that’s missing here is Archie and Edith.

Yes.. I AM obsessed with these things..

Cool for Halloween No?

I think I have his cousin sitting on my dresser at home.

Yep.. I think they are related.

Eeeery

All around us we found great advertising for Detroit and Ferndale

It was great to see all the creativity and Love for the D.

Our little jaunt was if nothing else interesting & amusing.

Though we didn’t buy anything,we sure had a good time.

You gotta love a place that gives people the freedom to think outside of the box.

Or the sink….

Rust Belt was just the place.

The important thing is….I spent time with someone I love… and THAT is what matters most.

Making the memories !

It’s Getting A Little Scary Around Here…..

2011-10-08T09:57:00.006-04:00

Since I bombarded myself with so many Fall themed activities, I decided I would pull out the ol Halloween paraphernalia.

This year I only new thing I bought was a $1 Tarjay special witches' hat and put it on the cute ceramic pumpkin my mother in law convinced me to buy.

I’m glad she did, I just love that thing… every time I see it I am reminded of that beautiful fall afternoon we shared.

And as much as I love it as is.. I gotta say that adding the hat…. propping it up on an old urn …. and decorating the brim with some fall leaves.. adds just a little more panache.

This pumpkin as been invaded by spiders..

Hmmm… A few days earlier the entire kitchen was inundated with fruit flies which was just as hunting.

Even the bathroom gets a little Halloween do up..

The base of my son and daughter in law’s wedding centerpiece continues to be put to good use.

A year ago in August it was covered in mini orchids and dripping with crystals

Now it’s barraged with bats..

After all the bathroom can be one of the scariest places you’ll ever find.

Yep..I still have a lot to do in preparation for Autumn in general and Halloween in particular….

and it’ll all get done..

I just have to remember to:

Fall On The Farm... or.. Creativity Gone To The Hogs.

2011-10-06T16:51:00.011-04:00

Happy Fall !!

I told myself and you out there...

( Whoever you are )

that I was really going to try and get a little better about posting here.

Today, I did it or at least I tried.

Early this morning... still bleary eyed, I headed off to work and I also grabbed my camera, with the intention of actually doing what I am always talking about here...making some memories.

Because I work in Ann Arbor, and in close proximity to Domino Farms.

I decided it was the perfect day to take some pictures at the petting farm there.

I was not disappointed.

Along with my time down on the farm... I also made a quick trip to Hines Park, which also proved to be pretty amazing for the fall colors.

*If you like... Hit The Slideshow

Hope You Enjoy !!

Fall On The Farm

Creativity Gone To The Hogs

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

Banana Gets Schooled...Yo

2011-10-01T14:39:00.004-04:00

Because SOMETIMES... You've gotta teach people a lesson..
Love This...

A Safe Place to Fall… or…Where Chickens come to Roost.

2011-09-28T21:16:00.016-04:00

I know alot of people don’t like the fall

*Cough Lina *Cough.

Sure it is the harbinger of cold weather to come… Yes many of the days in the fall can be like today …wet and dreary.

But I have to say… I LOVE IT !!! I really do.. I love just about everything about the fall.

We have both cool crisp bright sunshine take a brisk walk kind of days as well as rainy stay inside with a good book and cup of coffee kind of days.

Here in Michigan Autumn is absolutely spectacular!

Fireplaces and the smell of wood burning, Cider Mills with the mind numbing aroma of fresh donuts , Scarecrows and Halloween decorations, Sweaters and scarves, the spectacular colors of the leaves changing colors.. I love it all.

Even a day like today that started out basically grey… windy… and rainy… and ended the same way.

I sit here in the Lady Den, I look around and find such comfort in the peacefulness and quiet.

( Ok... relatively quiet) house.I love that I have a place to sit read,watch T.V. putz around on the computer... or to just sit and think.

Though the days are short…

The glow from the lights kinda warm the heart.

It was then I realized that each of us at the house have our own warm and cozy place.

As I sneak down the hall to check up on Mamma and her space.

I see that she too finds things to keep her occupied in these long fall evenings.. Her Sewing room is where she spends about 80% of her time.. Though she isn’t sewing very much these days..( It’s been bothering her eyes too much)

She still finds small not too difficult projects to keep her busy.

During the revamping of the house, we purposely decided to keep this room and her bedroom as is.

They are Her rooms.. with pictures, mementos and keepsakes of her life all around her.

Isn’t she cute?…

Can you see the reflection of her dear friend Challlie Gibson in the mirror? Sewing and the sounds of the Italian channel drift out of her “Room”

I had to go downstairs to get something I needed… So I decided to stop off at the

This sign was a gift to Mr R from his sister. She found it at the Plymouth Art in the Park Festival when she was in town...and let me tell you.. It fits well..

Down here he is surrounded with the things that he enjoys..

University of Michigan memorabilia, Wine, the computer, the T.V. and of course his beloved remote.

To be perfectly honest.. I‘m not so sure he even knew I took this picture.
What can I say… I just LOVE that man O mine!!
He is entitled to find his quiet place too.. I mean even with Maria off and married.. there is an awful lot of Estrogen goin on in hare.

Here he can watch all the Detective/DeadlyCatch/Slasher/Baseball/Football/Hockey/Basketball/Under Water Polo shows that his heart desires.

Anyway.. I found what I was looking for..

This dish/book stand.

You see while out and about today… I found this elegant plate with a rooster on it.

I kind of liked the colors and thought it would go well with the new walls in the kitchen.. after all it IS a chicken… where else would it go?

Now I don’t like to brag but ….

I found this gem at the VERRRY Trendy VERRY Elegant...

"SA Boutique"

I mean SA is the place to be and to buy…

What?

You’ve never heard of the SA Boutique?

SA… Salvation Army of course

Oh yes.. it’s all the rage..

You know kind of like Target becomes Tarjay.

What can I say… I am all classy and stuff..ha

At any rate.. I just wanted to try to keep to my goal of writing something… and in this case it turned out to about nothing.

More so... I wanted to try and share the feeling my home has at this time of the year.

I like to think it is always a warm and welcoming place… but for me… it is even more so in this season.

In a normal day,we come together to share a meal.. and some conversation of what our day was like..yet we each have our separate place to go if we need to get away…

The place we each individually feel the most comfort.

I think that is kind of nice.

So there you have it… the description of our home on a typical rainy Fall evening.

Don’t you feel like a “Winner Winner… Chicken Dinner?”

A Little Birdie told me…

2011-09-27T17:24:00.003-04:00

Good Day all...

I have been really wanting and trying hard to think about ways to have a little more of a creative outlet.. I mean life is too short to just be engrossed with the day to day stuff right?

I mean...

*Wake Up
*S ---- Shower and Shave ( who am I kidding, Fall is upon us....it's almost the season to start braiding the hair on my legs and I know it )
*Go to work ( Try to figure out what the heck it all means..)(*Note to self... look into computer classes.. there has GOT to be a better way! )
*Come home do the day to day things.. Shopping Laundry Cleaning etc..
* Read a little
*Watch a little T.V. ( shaking fist in the air.... Oh....How I love and hate you BRAVO !!! )
*Get ready for bed...
* Start all over again....

I am going to slowly but surely.. try to post a little more often.

You would think in this great big vast world we live in, I could come up with a little somin somin to write about, but believe you me, it's not always that easy.

I have thought about doing a photo a day for 30 days challenge, but I know I would be super hard on myself if I didn't accomplish this..and frankly who wants to feel bad right?

I decided I am going to useStumbleUpon.com and Pinterst.com which are two of my new favs for creative ideas.

These will hopfully help not only in finding topics, give some really great projects and ultimately provide something interesting to learn about.

I mean where the heck do these people come up with all this stuff?

I am going to at least try to get something up more often.... A picture... A video... A link..

The day's breakfast..

Anything..

Just to get back into the groove.

(*By the by you can follow my Pinerst Boards to see what I've been pinning. )

So to start things out I think I will show you what I finally did with the bird pictures I was having such a hard time with.

Viola !!

Good ol Wallyworld provided me the backdrops I needed to hang these whimsical prints.

The frames are actually for posters (or to display small prints) .. and in this case worked pretty darn good for what I needed them for. A dark background to help the pictures stand out.

They aren't hung perfectly ... but then I did do it myself.. so keeping THAT in mind...

I'd say they turned out pretty good..

In fact I used a tip I found on Pinerst.

A dab of toothpaste helps you hang the frame right where you may/or may not want it..

without putting a million holes in the wall.

Once you are happy with the location.. you pound your nail in and simply dab away the frame and wall.

BRILLIANT !!!

I really ended up liking the way it turned out.

Now the only things I need are a really good lamp,

(This room has virtually no lighting except the desk lamp)

and that IKEA shelf I have been eyeing.

Which will probably go right under these pictures.

So there you have it..

Another glimpse into ma crib yo !

Thanks for stopping by...

Design... and ... Redesign !!

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Since most of my recent posts have been about home design or design in general..

I thought I'd share this unbelievable video...

A Three Hour Tour… *Ok.. Not Really Three hours

2011-09-20T22:18:00.006-04:00

Good Evening Ladies and Gents…

Because I have already viewed the DVR show of yesterday’s “Dancing with the Stars” and because there is nothing on Bravo that is striking my fancy.. I thought I would go through some pictures I took a couple of days ago of the house some of the new decorations and the finished paint job…

Unfortunately I did not possess the insight to take BEFORE shots so that you could see the changes..

Fortunately…. the three or four of you who actually read this thing either live here now.. lived here at one time.. or have visited once or twice, so you already had a lay of the land.

Since we purchased Mamma’s home 8 years ago.. it has been my heart’s desire to take down the antiquated 80’s disco ball era wallpaper… ( Don’t get me wrong.. I know in it’s day it was the bomb diggity) but alas … it’s time had come..

I still cannot believe the vast difference a fresh coat of paint and a few new "Tchatchkes" (Yiddish word for "knick-knacks) can make.

So Because I don’t have any life altering words of Wisdom… and don’t have a T.V. show sucking my time.. I thought I’d give you the tour.

Kick off your shoes…or not…

( I’d like the carpet to go )

Follow me…

Our first stop is the room I am in at the moment..

Maria’s old Bedroom…. Aka “The Lady Den”

The room has quite literally and figuratively gone to the birds..

It all started with this Bed Bath and Beyond clearance pillow.Well that and Maria’s old bedspread.

I knew I wanted to keep the chocolate brown spread.. but did not know what the color of the accent walls would be.. nor did I have a particular theme in mind.

Suddenly Viola !! there it was .. a lone blue pillow with a bird in a cage..

Things sort of steam rolled from there… and soon birds were just “Flocking” into the room…

*Notice the little birds on the mirror?

I went from not having a clue about what this room would be…to having it come together pretty fast and furious.

I still have the wall opposite the bed that needs some work.

A T.V. stand/ Organizing shelf ( I have just the one in mind from IKEA )

It all just takes time… and money.

I’d say I starting working just in the nic of time..

All in all I LOVE this room.. and now feel like I have made it my own.

While I NEVER thought I would go with Blue and Brown in here.. I would say it turned out nice.

Ok.. we are kind of back tracking here but let’s head on over to the front door…Some of you may remember the half moon wrought iron piece used to hang over the sofa.. I really like it’s new home .

Here :

we changed up the pictures and lamps

The kid’s Graduation pictures used to sit on either side of a mirror, as well as there being two small fancy pants lamps that flanked the clock.

Now I have a picture of the Tuscan countryside that was in my bedroom there, as well as a tall thin lamp that was on Mr R’s Dresser. It was never use there because it was kind of hard to reach..

Here… I use it all the time…

I really like the combo now. (Funny how using pieces you already have in your home and placing them in a different spot can change the look completely.)

In the dining room…Lots of changes…

First off, We took the kitchen table and put it in the dining room because.

A. It had a bit more formal feel

B. It extends out pretty far. It will be utilized much more in this room.

Also we separated the cabinets. This piece allowed you to use two halves next to each other to form a single cabinet… or… as my genius sister in law Nancy suggested.. separate to form two free standing cabinets.

This is all well and good except now I had to fill that space.

She(Nancy) took my by hand and lead me almost kicking and screaming to make some changes.. the piece in between the cabinets is only one example of my willingness to embrace something new.

I found that I actually like some of the modern stuff she was showing me.. and… to some degree has even convinced me that I can indeed pair some of the modern pieces with more traditional ones all in the same room…

I guess I am being asked to expand my thinking…hmmm You’d think the colors alone would have melted my mind… now I was being asked to think out of the box in home furnishing.. No wonder you all didn’t hear from me for such a long time…

OK.. On with the tour.. I found a great little sideboard to place between the newly separated cabinets. Not only is a great place to showcase the family pics… it also has space for wine glasses, linens and such.

I found it of all places… Big Lot !

Half the price of furniture stores was too good of a deal to pass up..It works… I like it… and it’s black.

How’s THAT for changing things up.. I actually bought it in spite of it not matching with the rest of the furniture.. I really am bustin a move here.. In fact NOTHING matches.. and I am ok with that.

Next is the kitchen.

Because the other table landed in the dining room.. we needed a new table for the kitchen. Thank You J.C. Penney. You saved the day.

This wall also has some new fangled art work..

I actually picked this out. I really love the way the colors play off the walls.

Which by the by.. in case you are wondering is Sherman Williams

Bosc Pear. Contrasting walls are Golden Fleece.

The color of the walls change throughout the day depending on the amount of sunlight and time of day.. It’s lovely.

Speaking of lovely.. look who popped in..

She is a nice contrast to the walls as well.

This is fresh fruit.. it has no significance except we went to the fruit market that day.

This is the old Buddha head that Maria had in her room… I don’t know why .. but I just can’t get rid of it..

I have put him to use by asking that he keep watch over the basil..

So far he is doing a great job.. let’s see how it looks in December.

This.. as you may recall used to hang in the kitchen. It is now over the sofa in the family room.. I still have some things to do in there.. I just need more time.. oh yes.. and of course the afor mentioned money.

This my friends.. is the boudoir … the place where all the magic happens..

Yep.. We get to sleep here.

Moving right along… We have the half bath in our bedroom..

A new shower curtain.

All the rest are items shifted from other rooms.. and placed here.

This arrangement is in front of the commode.

How would you like to look at this first thing in the morning…

I tell you.. It’s like looking in a mirror.

The reality is…

This room is where the “Real” magic happens..

Oh my… There she is again…

Now you see her.. Now you don’t.

She’s like a stealth bomber..

On to ….

The Master Bath.

Now let me just say… I almost had an outright heart attack when the colors in this room went up. I even checked the list to make sure it was right..Because let’s face it… it was so blue and so…

Well..blue.

Sure enough the color was right. Georgian Bay Blue.

I really thought Nancy had lost her damn mind on this one.. but once it dried and the chocolate brown accents were added.. I ended up really liking it..

Our ( Nancy and I ) mini project is to paint the cabinets

Nancy and I found this garden planter at Home Goods..

We saw it.. we liked it but weren’t really sure how to use it.. then out of the BLUE ( * No pun intended)

Nanc says.. how about for towels?.. and she MADE me buy it.. Now I’m glad I did..

Some of you may remember dear little Joe Pesce. The lone survivor of the three fishcateers.

The master bath is now his new home..

I must say however that he is starting to look a little depressed.. I may have to break out the Excedrin.

Since we seem to be in a bathroom frame of mind.. I thought I’d show you the bathroom off the laundry room and backdoor.

This is the room I am still not too sure of…

Non of the wall art is new except the modern iron square contraption.

You see I don’t really know if I am feeling it in here?…

It seems to make this small space feel a little claustrophobic..

or maybe I am just not sure of the art itself?

I don’t know.. Thoughts? anyone?.. Bueller Buelller.

This however I KNOW I love.. another planter that I was forced to buy…

*Geeze it’s amazing how easy it is for Nancy to spend MY money..

I kid … I kid.. She has been such a great help in all of this.

So many ideas I would not have even dreamed of.

This is an urn…

With three mini pumpkins..

this is a platter with three other pumpkins..

This was just a small “Fall” diversion on our tour.

It’s getting late.. so I think we’ll head back to the Lady Den..

But wait….How cute are these birds?

The beauty is… they are removable !!

Lastly I will share with you another find.. that I am not sure what to do with..

The other day I found these four gems..

I mean how often do you run into bird silhouette pictures?

Almost never right?

Yet there they were.

JOY LOVE HOME and DREAM.

I bought them all.

The issue is.. When I put them up against the wall…they sort of fade into the color of wall.. ( Meditative Blue) They look better on the accent wall ( Refuge Blue) but I just don’t want to redo what I have up.

So… I don’t know if I am going to keep them, unless I can think of a way to frame them perhaps in dark brown or black.. I just don’t know… Thoughts?… Ideas?…

Looks like all this decorating nonsense is making Mamma tired..I can’t say I blame her.. It’s getting late.. I have not solved the issues of the world or of my home decorating … I also have to take Mr R to the airport tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn.. so I am afraid all these important conundrums will just have to wait..

So thanks for taking the tour.. little by little we’ll get this place the way we want it.

(Then probably sell…)

Until we meet again..

Good night !!