Sunday Fun.

The good news is that when the weather is rad here, I spend most of my time outdoors! Ya and Hoo!

The bad news- it's now 97 degrees and will be 99 tomorrow and hot all week.

Why is this bad? My BFF's central air stopped working in her home! And it's super spendy to fix, so for now..she has two AC units in her home. I'm not sure they're up to task and I know she's bummed.

Please send cool air prayers and vibes to one Kimberly Bott. Thank You!

I'm working on Etsy orders, feel the need to go hit a drive thru of some sort for junk food (read- fries! Always fries! A vegetarian taco sounds good, but can you even get that at Taco Bell? Shannan?!) and a cone.

The Minnesota State Fair is happening just four blocks from our house, so it's a bit of a nightmare here. Just yesterday as I walked Curtis, I had the good fortune of finding a half drank can of Busch's beer in our driveway. Thank you Fair Patrons and STAY CLASSY! Ugh. The city has placed garbage cans on every block. Why are people so damned lazy?

My Sunday share for you...enjoy!

 Via: http://www.etsy.com/listing/155045984/free-shipping-ron-swanson-quote-print?ref=shop_home_active

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Cones, Fries and All Things Fine!

xo~

T

Summer Love Continues...

Mmm Hmmm..that's right!

I am riding this summer out in a blaze of unicorns and love! I see that the days are getting shorter. When I let the dogs out to pee at 5AM, it's no longer light but dark. I've "noticed" that it's starting to darken at night around 8:30 rather than 9:30PM. It does make me feel a bit sad and ill. Yet I refuse to realize it's really happening. Our summer only began here in mid June, so I will continue to ball it for all it's worth!

What I've been up to:

Hit Stillwater the other day with my very best friend. It was LOVELY. We painted that town and Hudson, Wisconsin (across the river) RED! We visited locally owned bookstores where I found THE cutest book I may have ever seen. The Day The Crayons Quit.

Each crayon writes to Duncan with their complaints. I fell in love! The red crayon is overused. The pink sends him a letter asking "Why don't you ever use me?".  The peach crayon wants to know why he's naked (the crayon peeling has been removed) because now he's embarrassed and can never leave the box and on and on. I was charmed. I feel like I want to read it each  night to myself. Is that odd at age 41? If it is, I don't wanna be normal!

We had lunch at a great restaurant on the water in Hudson, Wisconsin. I think it was called Pier 500? Delicious food and a great key lime dessert in a martini glass. I have to upload the pics to  my computer here.

I slept weird the night before and could hardly move my neck to the right. After lunch, Kim gave me a neck massage on a park bench here. I'm sure it looked incredibly bizarre, but I was in pain. We laughed about it and joked "Maybe this would look more normal if you had a beachy sign that said MASSAGES $40"

She maintains that most people looked on with envy rather than judgement. I'd be jealous, too.

Me. This picture looks like freedom, does it not?

The water even looked clean! If you squint a bit, you can pretend you're at the ocean!

Watertown Inn, Stillwater. This is where Brad proposed to me in March of 2008!

We rounded out the night at Tremblay's Candy Shop. For those of you who've seen "Due Date"- I refer to this store as Ethan Tremblay's Candy Corner!


Found the Key Lime!

And I found this while thrifting one day. I should have bought it! Someone needs to tell my older sister this. She wears starvation and deprivation like a badge of honor. I always say: there will be no congrats or a party at the end of my life for withholding foods or being the skinniest lady anyone knew!

I'm off to eat something good and probably watch some sort of movie or TV.

Have a beautiful weekend!

xo

T

H & M Love!

Yes, you read that right.

I'm beginning a love affair with H & M! I've known about them for awhile.

Why have I never really shopped there? My god, the prices! I'm most excited about the home decor.

The reason I haven't shopped there: I forget, friends.

If it's not on the list, it doesn't get done.

I give you...a few of my faves today. I could have even afforded some of this stuff as a poor student!

I don't need this, but I think that carting around laundry or who-knows-what on a daily basis MAY make me happier with it. If you feel the same way, go here!
http://www.hm.com/us/product/82732?article=82732-D#cm_vc=GOES_WITH_PD

I can only say that the prices are competitive with Ikea- and I never saw that coming! Related sidebar: The new Ikea catalog is OUT! Has anyone received it yet?

http://www.hm.com/us/product/11983?article=11983-A#article=11983-A

No more links for items as there are two above. Now just some fun stuff I love!

I like using pretty candleholders in the bathroom (post candle death!) as apothecary jars. You're welcome, America! ;-)

The price on this is cray-cray! Less than $13!

In other news, I am missing my 10 year old nephew Emerson something FIERCE! He's with his dad for the remainder of the summer! They are currently road tripping through the southwest. I did get to see his cute face this morning on FaceTime! Thank you, iPhone! I'm enjoying my summer. Trying to stay off of the computer and enjoy people, doggies and things in the moment.

Have a beautiful week!

xo~

T

Cute Pic Of The Day

I don't know where I found this- but I'm betting it's Etsy!

And I think we often need reminders:

I feel fairly certain that I found this a few years back on  Thrifty Decor Chick's blog!





One of my sweet babies:

And my other little babushka!

Am about to head out to the pool with them now! We "close" the pool at night so it can filter out garbage, etc. We put the cover on. Daisy gets upset and we always say "Sorry folks, pool is closed. Moose out front should have told you so!"

Photo credit: http://mtimages.cstv.com/extrainnings/JohnCandyVacation.jpg



Recall? John Candy in Vacation as Wally World security!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwVpSBKzQYo

Happy Wednesday, Yo!

xo

T

Royal Baby Budgie Is Here!

Gotcha!

My friend Shannan at http://flowerpatchfarmgirl.blogspot.com/ recently watched part of "Identity Thief" (or was it Theft?) with Melissa McCarthy recently. I was super excited as I LOVED the movie!

Late one evening, after I saw her FB post saying she was watching it, I sent a message saying "Dawn Budgie! That's a terrible name!"  She was perplexed and thought the Royal BeeBee (Baby) had been born..as according to her it seemed like a british name! LOL. So now it's kind of an on-going joke. Why is this funny? She never watched the whole movie, so the whole Dawn Budgie name meant nothing to her!

Not to be confused with DAWN BUDGIE! Love her. She is so funny to me!




On to another DAWN..my little sister. Here we are in our sweet (and desert-like backyard!) pool in the 70's. I think it must have been chilly, water-wise. I look uncomfy.

Beyond watching Food Network Star, HGTV Star and Dexter, we have seen lots of nieces, nephews and very close friend's babies recently. Super fun! We've swam...I've eaten a lot. My tomatoes are growing. None have een stolen by squirrels in the last few days..and my strawberries aren't doing much growing.

Put a bird on it. Cake toppers in my Etsy shop. Makes me feel like I should make myself a cake so as to appreciate them fully. No?

Damned stye! On my right eye..your left. This is like day 29? Better..but still there. I've gotten used to not wearing mascara anymore. At first I felt very pale and albino-like.  Now I'm just used to it.

Brad found me/us some faux meatballs (it may also be made by the Quorn people, no guarantees) and has made delicious meals for the past few nights! RARRR!! It's very exciting to know I can make and eat things like chili and such, be full but without meat. Thank you "meatless section" at Target! I HEART you!

I think I'm off to get a McD's cone. It's what I did last summer. I'm feeling I may start up again.

Keepin' it Real~

xo

T

Nerd Alert- Floral Variety!

I think I've made it a bit clear that I am obsessed/enchanted with all of the gardening that went on at this house prior to our living here. Mature 50++ year old trees and a woman who had mad gardening skillZ!

Everyday something different pops up. I'm out there watering, taking photos and staring. I wonder if my  neighbors think I'm a bit nutty. No matter. Opinions vary!! I don't know what these are above- wildflower? I only know they just popped up after our peonies had started to fade. Then we suddenly received the gift of rows and rows of hostas, annabelle hydrangeas and a variety of lilies. One day they were just yellow. The next, we had a beautiful red. Just yesterday I noticed white popping up!  Free flowers daily!

I also have two raised gardens. In one we have tomatoes, roma tomatoes and strawberries. In the other, forsythia, catmint, silver aster (I think!) and some other pretty flowers. Yesterday as I returned home and opened the back door, I saw a squirrel running the length of the fence with something reddish/green in its mouth.

Sure enough, it was our first nearly ripe tomato! It was honestly hilarious and so cute. I felt happy for him or her.

My niece Madison also informed me that "Your strawberries probably won't make it." ??? She says the animals steal hers every year. She's almost 13 but has been gardening for years. This year she's planted cilantro among other things. But she doesn't like any of what she plants (food wise) she just likes to garden. Too cute.

Bliss!

This girl is a swimming fool! This is after she jumped out of the pool. She gets out to go to the bathroom! Such a good dog! The only drawback? She's spooked about getting IN the pool so that's a whole other issue. But it's heartwarming to watch her do laps. She did clockwise and then counter clockwise laps the other night for a good half hour. Then she comes inside, shivers, I wrap her in warm towels and she passes out. She's 13+ so seeing her happy makes me happy.

I'm off to work!

Have I said how much I LOVE summer!

Have a great week!

xo-

T

Tuesday Funny..or Tuesday Rage..YOU decide!

This image is thanks to my friend Tina (a.k.a. TOT) from What We Keep.
http://www.tinacarlson.com/

She posted this a few months back on her lovely blog and I loved it so much!

Who hasn't felt this way?!

I'm working, paying bills and have had a STYE on my right eye for over 20 days now! Yes, I went to the doctor. I have drops. It's getting old. But at the same time, I don't want to "rush it" and have to get my eyelid cut open (that's the next step, friends. Yep and no thank you!) so for future reference- Stye Gate.

We bought the doggies a pool. It's a 10 foot by 3 foot and it was totally worth the very little cash we spent on it ($25 on Craigslist! Can you say SCORE?) as Daisy our 13++ year old springer spaniel is in heaven. She LOVES to swim! Curtis= not so much. He's a bit nervous, will jump in for a ball and is OUT. Daisy swam laps for a good hour yesterday. First in a clockwise manner, then she switched it up counter clockwise. Then..before ending her time in the pool..she barked at Emerson swimming and cut through the middle. We act like she has a Clint Eastwood accent and imitate her yelling at us "GET OFF MY LAWN!" from that one movie. You know the one..?

Have a great Tuesday, Peeps!

xo

T