Dance the Night Away, Until 9 PM

This morning I woke up from a nice dream involving hippos and ice cream and a loud cotton candy machine. I had a slice of angel food cake before I went to bed, so that would account for all the sweets featured. The hippos remain a mystery. But the song that played in the background is now an earworm. Normally I hate that. I don’t want the same song playing in my head all day. Most of the time it’s very distracting. Who wants to keep hearing Call Me Maybe while trying to fold laundry? I certainly don’t. I would be too tempted to pierce my eardrums with the ice pick. But today’s offering is waaaaaaaaaay better!

I ♥ this song. I can do the dusting, the cleaning, the laundry, the vacuuming and it just fits!! Of course, there was a time in the distant past that I could stay up and dance the night away. Nowadays, I’m more apt to snore it. Age does that to one. But if the night started at 6 PM, after the Early Bird Specials, I would be very tempted. Of course, I would probably need a few painkillers afterwards, but it would be worth it 😉

Back to Basics

When I was newlywed, I used to take one day of the week to cook a gourmet meal. I would get the ingredients, measure everything, clean up as I went along, and make something fantabulous for the two of us.

Eldest was still on mashed peas and squash. She didn’t get to enjoy the spoils.

Once our family grew in size I placed that habit on hold, much to Hubby’s chagrin. Not many kids will appreciate Dover sole cooked in a white wine reduction, right? Well, I know mine didn’t. But now that they are nearing adulthood (ZOMG!!! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!!??), I have been doing different dishes and getting back into the gourmet thing, slowly.

Of course, Little One is Miss Picky and she is still a problem. Son has a block against sauced things. Eldest will eat anything I serve her. She’s my favorite at mealtime. AT MEALTIME!!!

That last is for her benefit so that she doesn’t tell the other two that she has favorite child status for life, or something like that.

Anyway…. I noticed that a lot of the favorite meals growing up have been seriously absent from the repertoire. I mean, no mac and cheese, no Southern fried chicken, no comfort. So, I’m going back to the basics with this:

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman, because she is a far better photographer than I am.

Chicken Fried Steak, my peeps!! I miss it so. I add different seasonings to the flour, and tend to add a bit of half-sharp Hungarian paprika for a bit of a kick (the bottle says “half-sharp”, but it peeled the skin off the roof of my mouth once when I mistakenly used it for Chicken Paprikás. Hubby loved it, though). Tonight there will be steak, and mashed potatoes and lots and lots of gravy that I make from the pan.

But I shall have back-up gravy from a jar, just in case I screw that up 😀

If the Shoe Fits

I’m a woman. I love shoes. It is an Axiom of Life™, and one that is almost universally accepted. Even my cousin who goes barefoot through the jungle and seldom wears anything on her feet loves shoes. My sister is addicted to shoes, and I am but an amateur compared to her.

Yesterday, a friend linked a story at that-social-site-that-has-faces that made me covet, covet like I have never coveted anything in my life.

Christian Louboutin designs a slipper for today’s Cinderella

This is the juxtaposition of so many wonderrific things I want with the force of ten thousand Betelgeuses, at seven orders of magnitude. First, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, he of the Red Soled Shoes™ that caress and form to every curve of your foot, making your legs look as if they go on forever. I have wanted a pair of his shoes for years. Every time I see the red sole I salivate. Some women love Jimmy Choo, others love Salvatore Ferragamo, and still some worship at the heel of Stuart Weitzman. But they pale in comparison to the absolute poetry of a Louboutin heel.

Second, BUTTERFLIES, and I don’t mean just any butterflies. A masterful butterfly heads the shoe and a smaller one caresses the heel, bringing attention to the sensual curve below the calf. I have a thing for butterflies, in case you didn’t know. And they strike me as a sign of femininity, so I love to wear their likeness.

Third, shimmery, translucent LACE. The epitome of femininity and charm, used in lieu of glass or lucite (let’s face it: a foot doesn’t look attractive encased in plastic. It reminds me of hamhocks). But lace always makes skin look luminous and pretty, while hiding small imperfections. That’s what I read in a Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog, anyway.

Fourth, beautiful BLING. While the lace smooths out the skin, and crystals give the illusion of glass. Yes, some people may think bling should be reserved for weddings and evening attire, but not me. Bling is pretty and it makes people look, and after all, why go through life unnoticed??

Alas, they are not meant to be for moi. Christian Louboutin made them as part of a collaboration with Disney™ for the Blu-Ray™ release of Walt Disney’s Cinderella. The shoes were such a hit that he will be gifting one lucky winner here in the U.S. with a limited edition pair. And I know it won’t be me. But a dream is a wish your heart makes, when you fall asleep.

And I will be dreaming 😉

Snot the End of the World

But it sure feels like it.

I have been fighting a cold since the family reunion, but it seems the virus has decided to teach me a lesson in humility by reminding me that it has been around longer than Homo sapiens sapiens has.

Fine….FINE!!!

YOU WIN, RHINOVIRUS!!!

But ArmedGeek was kind enough to send me this this morning, so enjoy:

STEAMPUNK STORMTROOPER!!!

I’m going back to bed, after I finish the laundry and clean upstairs. Also, I sprayed the blog with Lysol™, so y’all should be fine. Just remember to wash your eyeballs after reading.

Hope y’all stay healthy 😉

I Feel Like Chekov in the “Wrath of Khan”, Only the Earworm Won’t Die

Oh, someone please take pity on my, and drive an icepick through my ear.

Kids and Hubby are upstairs playing Minecraft™ (what else, right??) and that stupid, insipid lullaby keeps playing and makes me want to stab innocent bystanders, as well as the pigeons. Only I wouldn’t mind stabbing the pigeons. They are good in a stew. But this song has to stop before I take it out on the furniture, or the roast I’m making for tonight.

Oh, and look what I found for a Sithy.

Minecraft Vader!!! I want to kill the internet.

Hope y’all enjoy your Sunday!

Tiny Bubbles

Sometimes the best laid plans go off without a single hitch.

Take a few nights ago. As y’all know, I do enjoy taking bubblebaths. They are my escape, and for those few hours 40 minutes, I can enjoy some trashy novel or write in my journal, or just vegetate without being interrupted by someone wanting to know if they can have a snack, even though they had dinner less than an hour ago. But usually someone needs to find something, or someone calls for me, or someone sends a text that must be answered as soon as possible…. something always happens.

But not this time!!

I took care of the dogs, so they wouldn’t need to go outside. I turned off the phone, since in a real emergency they would call the land line anyway. I cleaned up the kitchen and told the kids that if they were hungry, they were on their own and not to ask me for anything, and I left Hubby nicely comfy upstairs playing a videogame. Then I poured a glass of wine, grabbed a trashy book, and proceeded to my garden tub, whereupon I ran the hot water in the scalding range (because if you don’t sweat in the bubblebath, you are doing it wrong), poured half a bottle of bubble stuff, and submerged myself in the lava-hot goodness. One advantage to being short is that I can relax myself enough to feel like I’m floating while almost completely submerged. It’s like a sensory deprivation tank, without the drawbacks. It was so relaxing, I totally forgot about my trashy book.

I didn’t forget about the wine, though. Next time, I may just bring the bottle 😉

Food for the Soul

And for the gullet! Sometimes we take for granted food that makes us feel good, the Comfort Foods™ from our childhood. I have to admit, eating certain foods does give me a serenity that has nothing to do with a happy tummy. The truth is, they bring back nice memories, and that makes me enjoy them more. Like drinking coffee in the afternoon. I remember my grandmother laying out the china (we each had our own pattern), slicing the bread, the cheese, and putting out the jars of jam and butter, and making us feel like grown-ups for partaking at a very young age. She even taught us to put our pinkies out! She was a stickler for manners, and that has saved my derriere on occasion.

So here are some of my favorites. Don’t judge me.

#5– Beef Stew

I don’t care if we are having a 113* Fahrenheit heat wave here. I will make beef stew in the summer, and eat it while it’s still bubbly hot. And yes, I make mine with dry red wine, and serve it with crusty bread.

#4– Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and broccoli, covered in a thick cream with onions and topped with cheddar cheese. That sound you heard was my arteries cringing.

#3– Meatloaf

My sister is a great cook, but even she admits my meatloaf is way better than hers. When your brother-in-law asks for it for his birthday, you know it’s good!

#2– Grilled Cheese

One word: ZOMG!! Who doesn’t get comfort out of eating such gooey goodness??

And last, but not least:

#1– Anything with Bacon

Tell me I’m wrong.

I’m sure y’all have your favorites, too. And I’m sure my #1 is a favorite with all 😉

And a hat tip to my friend, Blutarskyy, for the inspiration!

The Lightness of Being

I love tragic love stories, and love foreign films and books. Several years ago, I read The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and found it to be a very deep, slightly disturbing book, brilliantly written. I followed it with the film, which was good but in my opinion, very loosely based, and as always disappointing compared to the book. But it had Daniel Day-Lewis, so WIN!!

For years, the message of the book disturbed me, because as often as I would re-read it, I just couldn’t grasp it. I’m not a concrete thinker by any stretch, but this was beyond my scope, even at the tender age of 21. Ok, perhaps because I was so young, then. In any case, it took me several years, and one epiphany, but I finally got the message. That concept of the “lightness of being” finally clicked.

And I know I can never feel it. And that’s a good thing. The lightness refers to being carefree, thinking only of the immediate, the “now”, whatever will make you happy and satisfied for YOU. Doing what I have to do, FOR ME, is never an option. I can never give in to the child-like selfishness, because I would then be forsaking those closest to me. Don’t get me wrong: I do small things for myself, like the bubblebath ritual and attending Wine Night with my friends. But I never let those things take precedence over anyone. I can’t. It goes against the very fiber of my being to do so. And in retrospect, I never understood it because I never have felt the need to feel the lightness, such as it is.

You may ask if I need to feel it now that I understand it. The answer is no, I don’t. I’m just glad I FINALLY figured out that little enigma from my youth, and can now shelve the book without a backward glance.

The movie, however, is still nice eye candy 😉

Findings and Inspiration

A few…. holy cow…. almost a year ago now, I bought two small curio cabinets with the intention of doing something creative. And then something shiny happened and forgot completely about them. I left them in their bag and placed them under the desk for future use, only something always came up for me to do instead.

That’s the curio cabinet in it’s natural state. It has possibilities!! All the little boxes got me thinking about all the little findings I have to fit inside them, each box telling a little story of its own. I kept thinking of what tableaux I could make in each section, the Steampunk screaming at me to go in that direction, but the romantic in me also prodding me to do something a bit more feminine. So far, this is what I have.

Yes, the bottle of poison has charms that say “4” and “Life”. I’m a sick person, I admit it!! But the juxtaposition was too delish to pass up. I keep lightbulbs, washers, nuts and bolts, any keys I find, wire, even screen mesh for use in my altered stuff. I can’t really call it art, though it is artistic. I do know one thing, though. I won’t end up owning it. I seldom keep the stuff I make. I can count on one hand what I have kept for myself!! But the joy is in making it, and in the giving. I just hope it finds a loving home.

But for now, I have to go scour the local hardware store for more findings. You can never have enough copper fittings 😀

Mirror, Mirror

That’s the title of one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. Parallel universe and Mr. Spock in a goatee. Doesn’t get any more fun than that!

Sometimes I feel like I’m caught in a parallel universe. I was in the bathroom cleaning up prior to scouring the counters when I looked up and thought, “That’s my MOM!!!”

Now, don’t get me wrong. My mom is a very good looking woman. I only WISH I looked like her! But it wasn’t that I witnessed her physical beauty in my mirror.

It’s just that I have her “11” between my eyes.

You know what I mean. The two lines constantly frowning, even when you aren’t worried or angry? Yeah, those!!! So, after I stopped ogling at the mirror, I did what any rational woman would do. I washed my face and slathered intensive wrinkle cream on my forehead, and started smiling at everything. Not even the dog having an accident wiped the smile off my face.

It doesn’t mean I won’t ever get mad. It just means I will be smiling while yelling 😉