Friday, March 18, 2016

A FRIDAY CHAT ( about this & that )

Good morning everyone !

C'mon in !
The keurig's been moved to another spot in the kitchen - John doesn't like it - he hates change but....

Everything changes.
E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

When my kids were small I was told to let them cry - now I'm told it's not good to let babies cry.
I bundled them up to take them out - overly so just in case - now I'm told it isn't good for babies to be too hot in a car.
I started feeding my kids pablum quite young - now I'm told it's not necessary.

But then again I'm from an era where I learned to read from books that said:

SEE DICK JUMP UP AND DOWN

which meant something entirely different back in the day.
_________________________________________________________________________________

And speaking of SEE DICK JUMP UP AND DOWN...............(pun intended for obvious reasons) why is it that I can't seem to get mad at Don Draper on Mad Men ?  I've had turns getting mad at practically everyone else on that show at some point or another.
My daughters think he's disgusting ( he is I suppose but I can barely even acknowledge it )
Am I that superficial?
Is it because he's the most beautiful specimen of a man?
I always feel sorry for him.............he's in bed with half of Manhattan and I feel sorry for him.
One day I'm going to visit an analyst - which in turn will send the analyst to an analyst who will kindly explain that there's just no helping some patients.
_________________________________________________________________________________

I've come to the conclusion that retardation doesn't have to mean that a person is totally retarded.
I know, I know, it's NOT politically correct to use the term - but I'm allowed to use it because I AM somewhat retarded.
Technically Retarded.
Truly I am.
There's a mental block that I can't jump past.
I'm still in utter shock that planes can stay up in the air - I act like I was born in the 1800's for crying out loud.
AND I HAVE to imagine a plane just flies UP THERE IN THE SKY -
when you show me pics of what it's actually doing my brain starts sizzling ( which is of course just flying up there in the sky )

CHRIS THOMAIDIS/GETTY IMAGES
But there's no safety net............not from crashing to the ground - but from being flung out into the universe.
I can't grasp that it's out there in the atmosphere and that the only thing holding it back from floating for eternity is a little gravity - my brain shuts down completely at the thought.

I mean you're talking to someone who has a hard time with Facebook.
I'm on instagram and I can't even use my phone to it's full capacity.
I've been thinking of just signing all my posts HASHTAG IDIOT ( of which it took me forever to even understand what hashtag actually means ) 
_________________________________________________________________________________

Here's the thing about me:

I wasn't born with one of these in my mouth

#silverspoon

Nor was I born with one of these up my ass derriere ( well actually I wasn't born with much of a derriere period )

#horseshoeupmy

And I most certainly wasn't born with a technical gene - but that can be forgiven - God had no idea about social media when I entered the world hashtag whatthehellissocialmedia

But I WAS born with a wicked imagination - which kind of makes up for the lack of the other 3.
Well maybe not completely but you gotta take what you're born with.
A wicked imagination makes you a dreamer.
And that's a good thing.

Take it away Mr. Williams



See you later -  my huckleberry friends
Love you to bits even though we've never met
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend
Me
#idiot
#technoretard
#tooblondforwords
#somebodyhelpherforGodssakes

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

FRAMED !

Good morning everyone !

We had a mirror break last week - I think we break one every 7 years or so just to keep the bad luck coming really :)

It was a mirror that hung on the bathroom door and so I had John carefully remove the mirror itself out of the wood ( kind of ornate ) frame and painted it gold.

John says - What are you going to put in it?
Suzan says - Nothing - I'm going to hang it up empty - along with a few others
John says - Oh c'mon now - that's going to look ridiculous.
Suzan says - No it won't - it's a look - I've done it before on mantels
John says - Well that's one thing - hanging it up is going to look ridiculous
( he repeats himself - often )


I need more frames - small ones to fill out the empty spaces but it's a great start, right?

John says - This looks even more ridiculous than I thought it would
Suzan says - Of course it does sweetheart


John says - WE'RE GOING TO KILL OURSELVES COMING DOWN THE BLOODY STAIRS !

Now he just may have a point there - these are the worst stairs in the history of house building I'm sure.  They're narrow with a very dangerous turn at the halfway mark - I've been begging John to put up a banister for the 2 years since we bought this hellhole fixer upper.


Suzan says - I've asked you a hundred times to put a banister up !
John says - Well I was going to do it this month
Suzan says - Of course you were sweetheart
John says - WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO - HOLD ON TO AN EMPTY FRAME ON OUR WAY DOWN ?
John says - It's a nuthouse - a complete nut house
Suzan says - PLEASE DON'T HOLD ON TO THE EMPTY FRAMES - YOU MIGHT BREAK ONE OF THEM !



I came across a before photo last week and almost died  WAS I BRAVE OR WHAT?   I mean really can you believe we bought this place ?
I seriously think I had a temporary loss of sanity - it's the only way I can explain it -
AND it's been 2 years and we're far from finished !


Have a wonderful day all.............
Much love,
Me

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES?

FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE

Monday, March 14, 2016

PAPER ROSES !

Good morning everyone !


I showed a bowl of paper roses yesterday in my multi color Monday post and a couple of you asked how I made them.............so here's how you make a huge bowl of colorful paper roses for 1.00 !

We made these for Mother's day when I was a little girl and since my craft skill levels have never matured beyond 10 years old this is how I still make them :)
It's so ridiculously easy that I'm embarrassed to show you how but here goes.

Supplies - Multi color pack of construction paper ( from the dollar store )
Pencil ( or pen or chop stick )
White glue
Rerun episodes of Mad Men
Red wine
The wine is optional - Mad Men is not.

Draw out various sizes of circles on the construction paper ( I used saucers and glasses )


Cut each circle into spirals while staring at Don Draper - try not to cut your fingers


Sorry for the lousy pics but O.M.G. Peggy did something really really stupid so I'm lucky I remembered to take one at all !
Anyway once the spiral is cut - you take the outer end piece and start rolling it on the pencil going towards the middle piece - as tight as you can until you reach the end


then you pull the pencil through it while holding the spiral intact - there will be a " tail " hanging at the end -


This is where the white glue is applied


before pressing the glued piece down you can allow the " rose " to open to the size you want it to be and voila
OH NO - NOT AGAIN DON - stop it - just stop it !!!


I'm thinking this was a subliminal project actually - completely inspired by the fact that I'm binge watching Mad Men all over again on Netflix

And Paper Roses was  ( I'm sure ) written for all the men on that show !
( cuz like a big red rose that's made of paper - there isn't any sweetness in their hearts )





Have a wonderful day everyone !
Hugs to you from me ( real ones - not paper ones )


LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !

THE ESSENCE OF HOME                                        FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE




MULTI COLOR MONDAY # 8

In a desperate effort to find color in a world ( my world ) that's filled to the brim with sensible neutrals - I'm dedicating one day a week to colorful vignettes that have caught my eye.

Color me n the garden !


PINTEREST
PINTEREST
PINTEREST
PINTEREST
PINTEREST
PINTEREST
PINTEREST
PINTEREST
IT CAN'T COME QUICK ENOUGH ............BUT IN THE MEANTIME I MADE A BOWL OF PAPER FLOWERS  FOR THE COFFEE TABLE :)


Hope you have the most colorful of Mondays one and all !
Hugs,
Kiss - Kiss 
Me




LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !

BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH                       MY UNCOMMON SLICE OF SUBURBIA
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT                 KATHE WITH AN E
AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY                                 THE ESSENCE OF HOME

Friday, March 11, 2016

A FRIDAY CHAT ( about this & that )

Good morning !

How do you do?

I do fine thank you very much !

Where did that expression come from?  I remember when people said it all the time - today if someone asked me  " How do you do ? "  I'd look at them baffled and reply  " How do I do what? "

Still... my youth was such a polite era to grow up in. ( even if it was on the cusp of flying out the window )

We got Netflix last week.
And so I've been binge watching Mad Men ( although I've seen every show already ) and even with all it's misogyny it still makes me nostalgic for those days.
I know the 60's were terrible years for many but they were my " little girl " years and so I was pretty innocent about the ugliness.
From my vantage height of around 4 feet at the time things looked pretty glamorous.
I spent the 60's in bliss if the truth be known..............or maybe as we get older we " blissify " our youths ?
_________________________________________________________________________________

I miss this girl..........


Does anyone else remember Rabbit Rabbit ?
It brought luck if it was the first thing you said on the 1st of the month and I learned it from Trixie ! Did it for years and years.
( who am I kidding - nothing feels quite right if I don't do it......still to this day )
I did it on Tuesday actually so don't be too surprised if I win the lottery or something !

I also miss Nancy
Terribly.

NANCY DREW SLEUTH
Many many nights were spent in terror reading those books with a flashlight under the blanket.
But I had no idea that THIS existed

NANCY DREW SLEUTH
Oh my gosh - did anyone else ever see this game or own it?
That would have been on a few Christmas lists back in the day I'll tell ya !  I was so freaking concerned with ' DON'T SPILL THE BEANS ' and ' KERPLUNK '  and ' CLUE '  that I never realized this game even existed.

From the NANCY DREW SLEUTH SITE

The game boards ranged from blue to red for the 1957 version, blue for the 1959 US version and red, green, and black for the 1959 Canadian version. On the back of the board was a sticker that featured the art on the box lid. If you find an old ratty game missing some of its parts, consider framing the game board to hang with your collection.

Locations on the game board were from the mystery stories:
The Haunted Bridge, The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, The Secret of Red Gate Farm, The Mystery of the Hollow Oak, The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, The Sign of the Twisted Candles, and The Secret in the Old Attic. Also featured on the board is the Drew Home and Moon Lake, the lake Nancy visited in The Secret of the Old Clock. The "bad" place to end up on the board is the Spider Web, perhaps inspired by Old Attic. One thing not in the books that is on the board and seems somewhat odd is that at the Haunted Bridge location, there is a witch holding a broom--obviously not from this book!
There were action oriented spaces on the game boards which allowed players to place markers on spaces, go to Moon Lake Bridge, remove an opponent's marker, remove your own markers, and go to the Spider Web.

Oh I'd give anything to find one of these !!!
_________________________________________________________________________________

I miss Gilligan and Batman
The girls from Petticoat Junction
Jeannie
Samantha and Endora and even Mrs. Kravitz
All of the Munsters ( but mostly Herman )

I cut my teeth on The Edge of Night - The Secret Storm and of course Another World ( which I watched well into the late 70's  - remember Steve and Rachel ? )

And reruns of I Love Lucy and the Honeymooners were on every day.

Then the 70's came around and t.v. was even better !

When you're from my era and you try to watch t.v. in this era you're doomed - really you're just flat out doomed.
I was raised at a time when T.V. was it's finest ( in my humble opinion ) and have lived to see it slide down every decade until we are now what I believe to be the worst.

It's SCHITT - all of it

And speaking of SCHITT - there's a show out right now that has me peeing my pants
it's absolutely HYSTERICAL.
Well the peeing my pants thing? That has a lot to do with menopause I'm sure - but still.............

It's a Canadian show starring EUGENE LEVY and CATHERINE O'HARA and it's called
SCHITT'S CREEK
Now first of all you have to know that for me to recommend a t.v. show it really has to be a great one.
I'm so critical of t.v. of it all.
Secondly it's a very rare thing for me to recommend a Canadian show - we're a great Country - filled with great people and crap t.v.   Sorry fellow Canadians ( we also apologize for everything ) it's just the way it is.
But Schitt's Creek?
It's pure comedic brilliance.
I'm hoping you can watch it from the link HERE - but if you can't - google it to find out how.
I know it's on netflix but maybe that's only Canada - anyway move here if you have to - it's worth it !



You'll thank me .................but it's not necessary.
That's what friends are for.
In a world of horrific t.v. it's a friend's duty to let another friend know when they discover a good show :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone
Much love,
Me

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

i WANNA live there Wednesday # 153

Good morning everyone !

We're back in Montreal this week - my last neighborhood :)

A STEAL !
For the neighborhood - the proximity to downtown - the size
A STEAL !

1.145.000
12 rooms
5 bedrooms
4 baths
Year built 1921
REALTOR -   BRIAN DUTCH


Loving the leaded glass !


And this entry way?  With a fireplace !  What a gorgeous " welcome "





Oh my gosh - that built in !!!













An office with a corner fireplace and a radiator would be a dream for me


Basement/playroom/t.v. room



Another office  ( for John because I need that other one upstairs ) the best kind of dreams are the ones that almost feel real, right?



Hope you all have a wonderful Hump day - the week's half over !
Hugs
Me


LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON                  THE ESSENCE OF HOME
A GLIMPSE INSIDE                                                   THE INTERIOR FRUGALISTA
BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH                          MY UNCOMMON SLICE OF SUBURBIA
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT                    AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY
KATHE WITH AN E