A Girl’s Best Friend

Y’all know eventually this blog would talk about this. Women are like magpies. Shiny, pretty things grab our eye, and sometimes even our wallet. I confess, though, I am not a fan of diamonds. Don’t get me wrong. I love to look at them, from a geological point of view. A diamond in the rough is far more attractive to me than one already cut. But that’s not to say I don’t admire the precision and art of the cut. Hubby asks me every-so-often if I would like a diamond for an anniversary. Every year I tell him, “Nope, I already have my rock!” I prefer stones with color, but oddly, not colored diamonds. However, I did find a stone I do like:

This is the Asscher cut. Me likey lots. Sadly, I have to wait until a MAJOR anniversary to score something like this. Like maybe my 50th. More likely my 75th, though. If I really want one, though, I can always get a fake one from QVC. They know me by name 😉

Halloweenin’

I know, it’s early yet. But my kids love Halloween, and every year they try to out-do the costumes from the previous holiday. Last year, Eldest went as some vampirical creature, Little One was a dark fairy, and Son stuck to the classics: he went as a ghost. The fun part is making the costumes from what you already have around the house. Togas are very easy and look good. Add some gaudy jewelry courtesy of my armoire, and you are a Greek or Roman goddess. Or paint a scruffy beard, and you go Animal House!!

This year I am at a quandary for a costume. Yes, Momma dresses up, too. And so does Daddy, but not this year, unfortunately. I thought it would be fun to go as Romans this year, but the kids nixed that idea. The thought of all of us dressing to match was repulsive in the extreme, I suppose. So, I was ready to go back to the drawing board when Teresa from Koch’s Tour sent me a link to The Pyramid Collection:

Steampunk all the way!! I have made plenty of Steampunk jewelry, and have several vintage items that with some tweaking can be made to look very Victorian. Eldest will no doubt want to borrow this for her wardrobe. And she can.

But not the corset that goes with it 😉

Crowning Glory

A while back Laura over at Fetch My Flying Monkeys was exclaiming about how absolutely awesome Bumble & Bumble hair products are. She was practically swooning, people. And as women are wont to do, when one recommends a product, that means you are in dire need of it. And my tresses were looking a bit tired, and forlorn, you know. They are practically dying (and yes, I do know hair is dead protein, but that is beside the point).

This is were I justify my actions, so no need to judge me.

Anyway, off I went to check out this miracle in a bottle. Alas, the cost is a bit prohibitive, especially when the new Trollbeads will be released on the 26th of this month, and Little One is hinting that she wants her very own bracelet for Christmas. She’s a Mini-Me, only pretty, and adorable, and sneaky. Anyway, as I was looking at the rest of the designer shampoos, I noticed that Organix was on sale, and decided to try it.

ZOMG!!! The change in my hair was palpable. My hair wasn’t frizzy or poofy, but had these pretty gentle waves to it, it didn’t “flyaway”, and felt sooooo soft!! And if something works, people, you have to get the whole system, right? So, I went and got the Argan Oil treatment, thinking it would be a bit too oily for me.

My tresses feel like spun silk from the Orient.

I’m a convert. I love the argan oil. This treatment has other ingredients, but hopefully in the future I will own a small bottle of the pure stuff. Perhaps my contact in the Middle East can acquire a stash of the stuff for me 😉

Fashionistas

A friend of mine, the one who is crazy about shoes, loves to post photos of fabulous dresses as well. And by “fabulous” I mean “in the five figure range”. This morning she showed me this confection:

Me: I like the flow and the ruffles on the top that Valentino is famous for, but that flounce at the bottom hurts my eyes.

Friend: One word: V A L E N T I N O!

Me: Two words: B A D G L E Y  M I S C H K A !!

More like this:

It’s one of my grails to own a Badgley Mishka gown. I can only hope one shows up at the Goodwill store in my size someday. The funny thing is, Eldest owns one. And by “funny” I mean “tragic”. She needed it for a runway show, and I found it majorly reduced, in her size, and the Saks’ Off 5th store. Talk about lucky.

Now, if only I needed a gown for an occasion besides housework 🙂

Dangerous Liasons

My friend The Nomstress is here for a quick visit, planning to take Son for a week. And when she is in town, bad things happen to my checkbook:

These are Trollbeads, and they are addictive. Hubby will attest I have….a few. And yesterday eldest got her very own bracelet for her birthday, composed of the Chakhra beads, which I had been collecting for over eight months. Anyway, Nomstress tells me she needs to go to the Trollbeads store to exchange a leather bracelet.

Best laid plans, and all that rot.

They had just received a huge lot of “universal uniques”, which will fit other brands of bracelets, as well. And they were sooo pretty!!! So I caved. And it didn’t help matters having Eldest and Nomstress cheering me on, either.

Sigh….. 😉

 

Carly Simon Speaks to Me

No, not really speaking to me. More like her anthem, You’re So Vain, keeps circling about in my head. Why? Because I have a hair appointment to have my tresses tamed and trimmed.

No, I am NOT cutting it short!!

JUST a trim of maybe an inch to an inch-and-a-half. And maybe I will capitulate to my vanity, and get a gloss treatment to make my hair look like it came from a Pantene commercial.

My hair, in about 20 years. Or in about three weeks if the kids keep driving me nuts.

I’ll try to post before and after pics of the hair. Hopefully, it won’t be too big of a change for someone 😉

I can hear Hubby whimpering all the way over here already…. 😉

UPDATE!!

Ok, here you go:

SHINY!!!!

Ok, people??? 😀

Bad Influences

We all have them. We all enjoy them. You know you do, so don’t try to say you don’t! Everyone of us has a friend that’s a bad influence. The one that says another slice of cake won’t hurt, or that you need that new dress, or that those shoes are absolutely fabulous and you must get them.

I have one of those friends, too. His name is Mitchell, and he is dangerous. Oh, we’ve never met, and he would die before going dress shopping with me. But when it comes to art and the kitchen, he is mandragora. He is the reason several bloggers came up with a new name for shopping: going a-yorling, after his former blogging name. A couple of days ago he posted some lovely kitchen canisters that he purchased as a housewarming gift for his mom. Not only lovely, but handmade here in the USA. You can guess what happened next:

Yep, I got the complete canister set from Crosby & Taylor. In my defense it was a fabulous deal, and considering I had been using two basket canisters for the longest time, I felt I was due for an upgrade. Right?? All I know is that now I need the matching garlic pot and soap dispenser. And when I say “need”, I mean WANT LIKE BURNING!!

If Mitchell ever has a garage sale, I’m sunk 😉

Letter to the Person in the Mirror

This is the final letter to the month-long Letter Challenge. I was supposed to have this done on Saturday, but I seldom post on the weekends, and then Monday was Independence Day, so naturally this got bumped to Tuesday.

This is not an easy letter to write. I am….not fond of looking too closely at my visage. Things tend to glare back at you harshly. But I’ll try.

To my reflection,

I used to see my father there all the time. As I grew older, and became a mom, I started seeing more of my mother. That dreaded “eleven” showed up between my brows, and I remember crying, thinking how angry it made me look. I paid attention to the mirror less and less, hoping that the person in it would no longer change. But that was futile, because you were there every time I walked past. But I started to see things differently.

I see the grey hair, and I think of the times my children drove me insane with worry.

I see the wrinkles, and think of the laughter they inspired.

I see the bags under my eyes, and remember staying up late with them, watching movies, rubbing tummy aches away, or searching for snakes.

I see chipped nails, and think of them asking for help with projects.

I see stretch marks, and think of the joy in earning them.

And now, every time I look in the mirror, I don’t see age. I see happiness.

At least until a fight breaks out, and the “eleven” comes back.

Sincerely,

The Me in this Universe

To a Person Who Changed My Life

I have the unique ability to imprint habits from others. Some would say that is the hallmark of a weak personality. I never claimed to have a strong one, but in my defense, all of my “imprinting” has been of good habits for the most part. The chocolate habit I got from my sister-in-law, and some would argue it’s not such a great habit.

I disagree wholeheartedly.

So many people have changed my life. But one person stands out above the others:

Dear June,

You epitomized what motherhood and feminism meant to a whole generation of women, at least until the hippie flower children found LSD. You had class, style, and grace, and I wanted to be just like you when I grew up. Really! I even begged my mother for a cheap string of dimestore pearls so I could pretend to be you while I washed the dishes.

I learned how to be a mom from my mother, but I learned to be a domestic goddess from you.

Sithy Frippery

Well, today’s letter was to someone to whom I want or should give a second chance. Seeing as I give everyone and everything a second chance (yes, even menudo, both the band and the stew), I decided to do something more frivolous here.

It’s my blog and I post what I like 😀

A friend of mine happens to be addicted to shoes. And by “addicted”, I mean ADDICTED!! There is not a day that goes by without her checking out Jimmy Choo and Louboutin, and whatever shoe designer she comes across. And it had me thinking…. I quite like shoes, too. Not to the extent of paying $400 for a pair, you understand. But I do like a nice pair of heels!

And if you think I just get them for looks, think again. That heel can do some serious damage 😉