Painting and Panic

Geez what a week!  Hello. Thanks for stopping by.  I have visions of posting everyday in a perfect life I don't have and seem to hardly be able to bang out even 2 posts a week.  Lord knows I'm never lacking words and always have something to say.  The latest is our contractor friend just wasn't able to get to us and do all we needed to have done in our time frame so we hired real painters and they started this past Thursday and when I got home all the main floors; living, dining and entrance way rooms had brown paper and plastic in some places taped to the entire floor.  That's how they protect the hardwood floors and it looked like a different house.  All the window coverings down and numbered, furniture that we didn't move outta there was in the center of the rooms all covered in plastic.  AND MY FAVORITE; SANDING DUST EVERYWHERE!  But it IS getting done faster so living within the perpetual mess will be of shorter duration, yippee!  Here's some pics of the outside I took last week.

I went to see the movie "I Am" that I posted about here.  I really liked it.  It was positive and shows how finally scientists that look at the material world and spiritual people are coming together to figure out what life, other living entities and humans share which turns out to be a very deeply rooted connection.  Go see it if you get the chance.  I'm sure it will come out on dvd and you could rent it soon.

So I went to get a breakfast sandwich and some coffee on my way into work this morning (the house is just too much of a mess to get bkfst or make coffee) and I was shocked to find the credit card I use most often was not in it's place in my wallet.  I tried not to freak out at the checkstand but I was trying to remember what could have happened to it.  Hmm...did big Al take it to get me gas last night, don't jump to conclusions...think girl when did you have it last?  Got in the car and continued my way to work then pulled over to call home.  No answer.  He must be talking with the painting guys.  Start to PANIC as I'm rummaging around in the purse and looking at all pockets in my wallet, not there, s**t!  Think, think.  Used it last at the other grocery store on Thursday morning.  OMG for 2 whole days someone could be enjoying my cc on VISA and my dime.  Damn.  Stopped at that store went in and asked if they have a lost and found and explained I'm missing my cc and used it last at their store.  Sure enough they had it.  RELIEF!  I've never lost a cc ever, thank God!  The clerk told me to make sure nobody used it before it was turned in and to check with the cc company.  So we did that, A-OK.  I went thru my memory of last Thurs. morning and remember now, laying it down on that little counter after swiping it then reached for the darn club card and I NEVER lay it down.  I always put back in it's place.  Must be the discombobulation of the house mess that's making me a mess!  Boy, was I lucky.

Here are some blooms from the front yard.  The white Watsonia are the first to bloom then will come the pink and then the lavender ones.  The Nasturtium and Kalanchoe are blooming nicely.

Since the painters are there working today, my plan was to stay at the shop and complete the insurance project that seems to be taking forever and I even brought my crochet projects that hopefully will be done soon so I can start my next project.  Hope you have a terrific wknd and are enjoying some flowers that are finally poking their heads out for you.  Spring is here!

A Must See, the Documentary, "I Am"

 

I heard about this while driving to work this morning.  He's the director of the comedy, "Ace Ventura Pet Detective"  Remember that movie?  So funny and that cute adorable dog??  Well, this guy, Tom Shadyac had a bicycle accident and almost died.  After his recovery he decided to make this film and went around the world asking famous and some not so famous people these 2 questions:  "What's wrong with our world" and "What can we do about it?".  Look's interesting.  I'ts coming out in selected places this month and in March at more theaters.  

Welcome February!  The "Lovers" month although, I like to extend it to "Love Everyone" month or least one day, Feb.14th.  That way nobody can complain that they are being left out and nobody has to be depressed about it.  Want chocolate or flowers?  Heck buy it for yourself, that's what I say!!!  Also February has Presidents Day so I get to take a monday off and work on my seemingly never ending kitchen project and then there is the local Camellia Festival.  They have a parade down the main street here on the last Saturday of the month and all proceeds go to children's organizations.  Since they close off the street, nobody can get to my shop and so I get another day off.  

I ordered some online fabric to make a small ruffle (like a curtain) to put above the sink in the kitchen where it's always been bare and kinda ugly.  I think that's where they had their paper towels.  Pics of it as soon as it's done for ya.  I still need to refinish those cabinet doors so MAYBE I will get to it by the end of this month.

This is to match all the super cheap Rooster decor I got at Joann's a couple months ago.  I'll have pics of that

when I am finally finished with the whole kitchen project.

The weather in the midwest and eastern US as well as Australia is wild.  I hope you are warm, safe and dry where you are.  

Sending WARMTH your way, Annie

TIMmmBbbERrrr!

Yup, it's "Timber" come Monday morning!
Hi there, after much debate and a tree trim, we have decided to remove the Cypress trees because they are:
Too close to the columns/pillars.
They were planted a long time ago (not by us) and should have been removed at least 20 years ago.
It makes it hard to paint the house right now.
They are so big they hide the house.
They are all dry inside and they are actually a fire hazard and these trees shouldn't be planted close to anyone's home.
The Umbrella plant invasive as it is is practically killing one of the trees and is lifting the cement.

But still, I don't want to KILL plants.

My job this afternoon and tomorrow is to dig up the surrounding plants and pot them and then save them to plant again after the trees are removed.  I need to get more potting soil and enlist the help of my son to make sure it gets done!

I rented the movie "The Social Network" last night and watched it and returned it this morning at a RedBox location.  I thought it was good and informative.  It left you with YOU being able to make up your own mind what happened.   That aspect makes it a good movie.  It lets you be a part of the movie similar to movies made years ago ya know, the ones without the sex blatantly in your face.  They'd kiss and the bedroom door would close and left the rest up to your own imagination.  Now it's all about seeing 'em naked and well, I'm not a prude but I never think that, THAT makes or breaks a movie.  I'm not on Facebook yet.  Maybe one of these days.  People say I should have my little shop on there and maybe I should.  Hmm.  Decisions, decisions.

I'm pleased with myself as I finally made the Chevron stitch work.  I just needed to be full awake to do it.  I kept messing up the counts.  Will have some pics to share next week.

When I went in the market this morning to return the movie I planned on getting a few things for the weekend and being in a kinda rush since I had to go to the bank before I opened the store, I rushed around picked out some food (mostly bread darn-it, good deals always win me over) and since I was rushing, I didn't make coffee so I picked up a cup and then they had some free donut holes so I ate a couple of those and a small hunk went down my sleeve of my sweatshirt and as I was leaving the store maneuvering the basket and coffee splashed onto my arm and inside onto the other sleeve.  Geez, I could snack on my sweatshirt messes.  Isn't it weird that, that kind of stupid stuff sometimes makes ya mad and sometimes ya just laugh at those things in life.  This morning, I laughed. 

Why I'm not thin!

I hope you have plenty to laugh at this weekend.

Sex and the City 2

Went to see this film last night at 7:30 p and it was almost a full theatre and on a Thursday night, too!  There were ladies meeting up with co-workers, friends and family it was amazing.  There was a token guy here and there in the audience but mostly women.  We all laughed and hooted at the same parts it was really fun.

I really enjoyed it and it seemed everyone else did also.  My fav part was when they were at the nightclub.  If you saw the series and the first movie, well it just takes off from there 2 years later.  Go grab a girlfriend and go see it.  Tell the film making world that women want to see more movies for women!

This weekend is a long one, 3 whole days, thank goodness.  Still just chippin' away at the smallish projects to get done before the house goes on the market.  Mostly gardening for me in the half round in the very front of the property.  Finally, I will get some plants in there so it will have curb appeal for potential buyers.  Also...so I don't have as many potted plants to take with me when we move!  I got a couple slip covers for some furniture and will put those on this weekend, too.

I hate moving.  But I'll save that for another post.  Have a fantastic weekend and why not take in a movie??

Red Box Movies

Have you heard about Red Box?  I noticed one in the grocery store last week (yeah, I know I'm behind the times).  They have them all over in the USA.  You can rent movies for a dollar a day.  It's a large automated kiosk full of the latest movies including new releases.

This works for me since I don't have cable, dish network or anything with a million channels at home.  I  just have bunny ears, the antiquated way to watch TV and one of those dtv converters.  Believe me, if I had a bunch of channels I'd be watching TV in the small amount of time I have at home and NOTHING else would get done.  I'd watch all the "how to" shows and then I'd never have the time to actually put to use all the things I was learning about from those shows.  I may get it later if I ever get to retire!

This is the real Coco, left and Audrey Tautou

I watched the movie Coco Before Chanel.  It's French with subtitles but that was ok since I like the sound of the French language.  The movie was very good, a tad sad though.  Audrey Tautou was fabulous as Coco.  I've been sewing since I was about 7 and the story of Coco being a woman designer in her time is a wonderful thing.  Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of all the brave and talented women that came before me and paved the way for the women of today to be just about anything they want to be.  They don't have to be prostitutes, seamstresses, house cleaners, librarians, teachers or wives for that matter.  It's certainly ok for women to choose those professions but the door is wide open to do so much more.  Coco got rid of the corset.  Have you ever worn one?  Fun for about 20 minutes and then get me outta this thing.  She gave us the little black dress; a comfortable feminine suit; taught us to not over accessorize and always look and smell like a lady.  Her Chanel No. 5 perfume was the first ever designer fragrance way back in 1920.  She passed away the year I was in 6th grade, 1971.

My grade school cafeteria, what a cool 60's building!

This reminds me of when I was in 5th grade circa 1968-69 that 4 of my girlfriends and I decided to wear pants to school the next day.  I've always been a sort of rebel and growing up with 5 brothers made me toughen up but I was never a tomboy.  Well, the 5 of us did show up in our brother's pants and guess what?  We were treated as semi boys that day.  Our teacher was a woman and yet she made us stand in the boys line before and after recess and again when we walked to the cafeteria at lunchtime.  We were told not to wear pants anymore to school and as I recall we didn't.  GUESS WHAT??  About a handful of years later when my younger brother had her for his teacher and I needed to go get him and my little sister from school, guess what this same teacher was wearing?  Yup, you guessed it, PANTS.  It was a pantsuit but still what a hypocrite.  A few years later when I was in junior high we could wear nice pantsuits to school but most of us still wore dresses.  Because the mini dress was popular we wore shorts under our dresses.  By high school most of us gals wore pants all the time.  Bell bottom jeans were all the rage and that started all of us wearing jeans up to present time.

Hey I'm outta here.  Work's over for the day and I'm headed up to the mall to use my coupon for a free sampling of 4 shades of the new Chanel lipsticks.  You all have a nice weekend and thanks for stopping by.