All Things Fine, Volume Two?

Who knows anymore?

I feel like I had a post a long time back named something similar...did I? The  memory is GOING! I swear to you all, if it's not on the list, it does not get accomplished! I can no longer be ashamed.

it is what it is!

Did anyone know that the Honey Boo Boo family dressed up as the Kardashians for Halloween?

Brilliant!

Where I spent the bulk of the last few months. I may have shared before, see memory "issue" above.

Have a huge HUG coupon or Jared Fan in your life? Please print out this coupon and ENJOY!

I found this on a blog the other day and loved it! I can't recall which blog (The Stanley Clan?) but know this is NOT my image. Honor, truth and sharing!

I've got to get back to work and the ice cream cone I crave isn't going to EAT ITSELF, so I am off!

Happy November!

xoxo~

T

Where are my wings?

Really? Where are they? Image via Pinterest.

It's raining here and our older dog is on steroids.

That is all.

Gotcha!

I WILL be back! The weather is turning and I'm working on a lot of projects!

If I can pull it together, I may EVEN have some before and afters!

Buttons & Bowties~

T

Things that make me giggle.

I wasn't even planning on doing any kind of a post today (as I've been lazy about blogging all summer long. I don't think anyone will die..so it's all good. Thank you to my three loyal readers! ;-)  )but I saw this photo and it made me LOL! Enjoy!

Via Google. Paula Patton and  Robin Thicke! FABULOUS!!!




Other things that are making me happy lately. Our yard. It's all fenced in. I can just let the dogs out and they roam freely without worry of cars, running off or Daisy, our senior, running after children!

That's Curtis rocking his Thursday afternoon on the lawn. That dead patch of lawn in the back left is where Miss Daisy's summer pool stood. She held vigil around the area daily for a good four days after it was taken down for the season. :-(   She loves to swim!

I love everything about this neighborhood! We live in the Como area of St. Paul and I am blissfully happy here!

Here is my fave neighborhood hang out. Java Train! I think they recently changed the name to Como Grill. It will always be Java Train to me! You can get a good coffee here, beer and wine and it's quaint and had character. The best part? Not even a block away!

Como Park Conservatory. This is also literally..right down the street. You can walk lazily and bump into amazing things everywhere.

So this is where I've been, friends! It's too beautiful to stay inside and there's too much to see before the "five year winter" starts! (Nod to Game of Thrones. Thanks to my nephew, Nick..we watched all seasons and are hooked. VERY well done!)

Time to hit the backyard with the doggies.

Have a beautiful weekend!!

Pumpkins, Gourds & All Things Fine~

xo~

T

Bill Murray's Birthday! Guest Post by Blake Meredith.

Yes, friends. Today is Bill Murray's Birthday! And I've got a guest post on Bill..or William..or Willard as I'd call him!

If you "believe" the age he's given us (don't all actors lie about age? I feel like Bill wouldn't, but since I don't personally know him and have only heard stories of run-ins with him in the greater St. Paul area, I just can't be sure) he is 63 today.

Is it possible he's ACTUALLY 73? No. I don't think that feels right at all.

Did you see him in Groundhog Day? One of my VERY favorite movies to date! I also loved Lost in Translation...and how can you not love Carl in Caddyshack? He made me snort in The Royal Tenenbaums! I love that movie! My hubby= not so much.

Image via Google.




Our guest today is Blake Meredith, writing about beloved Bill and wondering: Is he a fantastic man having a mid life crisis?  Enjoy!

Bill Murray: Midlife Crisis or Just Fun Wild Antics?

Legendary comedian, actor, and Saturday Night Live alum Bill Murray is turning 63 years old on September 21st and that is a cause for celebration! Murray has been in a huge variety of comedy films including Caddyshack (1980), Ghostbusters (1984), and Groundhog Day (1993). He also starred in 7 of the 8 films directed by Wes Anderson, with the only exception being Anderson’s first film Bottle Rocket (1996). Murray also gained critical acclaim after his leading role in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003).

Lost in Translation stars Murray opposite Scarlett Johansson. Murray plays an actor working in Japan and at the same time going through a midlife crisis. The odd thing about the film is that in real life Murray appears to be going through a sort of midlife crisis himself. Well, maybe it’s not your typical midlife crisis, but then again Bill Murray isn’t your typical guy. After a few questionable stories surfaced about odd behaviors and run ins with Bill Murray and website devoted to these tales popped up. Bill Murray Stories is full of interesting encounters people have had with Murray over the years.

The stories range from Murray crashing college parties to Murray simply stealing a french fry off a patron’s plate at a diner before saying, “No one will ever believe you,” then simply walking away. Murray played kickball with a group of people in New York City one day, just because why not? He wore all camouflage to a golf tournament at Pebble Beach and fed his divot to a fan. It seems the craziness that surrounds Murray has no limits.

Murray has not had an agent in years and instead he calls you if he wants to work with you. It has been reported that Murray has actually missed opportunities because he simply forgot to check his voicemail. In recent years he has performed in more dramatic features such as Moonrise Kingdom and Hyde Park on Hudson.

Maybe these Bill Murray shenanigans are really the product of a midlife crisis, or maybe Murray is just a cool guy enjoying his fame in a way that doesn’t involve being a jerk, unlike some other major actors. Either way, it doesn’t really matter, because the guy is still a well renowned, successful actor.

Murray’s future screen work includes a role in The Monuments Men with George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, and Bob Balaban, which comes out December 18th, 2013. Murray will also be starring alongside Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, and Jude Law in Wes Anderson’s next film The Grand Budapest Hotel slated to come out in 2014.

Author Bio: Blake Meredith is a film and television blogger for CantMiss.tv where she covers popular television and new releases. Blake has been a longtime fan of Bill Murray’s and is particularly fond of Ghostbusters and his work in Wes Anderson’s films. Blake currently resides in Chicago, IL where she studies writing at Second City, Bill Murray’s old stomping ground.

Life Lessons.

I've seen this numerous times, but it's always worth a re-read to gain perspective. I've made the ones I need to remember BOLD!!

Hope you're all having a wonderful extended weekend!

xo~

T

45 Life Lessons, written by a 90 year old

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for things that matter.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose Life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.

42. The best is yet to come…

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

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

Summer Bonanza!

We have been blessed (insert a bit of sarcasm considering it snowed off and on and on again, in MAY!) with  summer for around a month now. I don't think I've swam this much or been in a bathing suit as much since I was age 10 or so and was completely without body consciousness. I've decided that now that I'm 4.1 (or 41 to some) that I'm just fed up and tired with being worried about how I look in a suit, how I feel, etc. So I've spent the summer thus far- enjoying swimming again. It has been lovely. We have a community pool just a few blocks away from our house. I think we've been there a good four times now.

This is Como Pool. It has a saltwater feature so there's a lot less chlorine, which is nice. This is the zipline, which I have no desire to do. However, it is fun to watch and be splashed. The most fun are the adults as they have soo much more weight to hold up with their arms than the kids do. There's a rock wall to climb, two cliff jumping areas, a lazy river, kiddie pool, snack bar and everything you could want. Oddly enough, my nephews very favorite area (after jumping and ziplining) is hanging out in the kiddie pool! Who knew? 2 feet of pure bliss, I guess. They say "it's warmer in here." Too cute.


My nephew Andrew turned 11 at the end of June. His pool party was yesterday.

Andrew and Ava and his bday cupcakes.




It was a stifling 92 degrees, so we all got in the pool. Well, most of us anyway. Yes, I was in there too. I opted out of the HUGE BALL game and swam in the deep end with Emerson. He has turned into such a good swimmer! He used to be a bit nervous, now he's pretending to be a lifeguard while I act "dead" as he saves me. The other super cute thing about him? He thinks I'm good at EVERYTHING. Ball games, swimming, swimming rescues...it's quite sweet.

Andrew and Emerson got sweet new summer cuts:

Me and Emerson- 4th of July parade. My sister's husband-to-be is a firefighter. The kids got to ride atop the firetruck and were in the parade. Brad and I were adult supervision. They seemed to have fun and in the end, threw all of their patriotic garb to little ones watching the parade. It was very sweet. Emerson would pick out a little kid by him or herself (with parent, but no siblings so there would be no fighting over necklaces or hat) and I think we made a few kids really happy. We also had some men and women from the Army riding in the back. It was nice to see them get thank you's from the crowd, cheers and clapping.

Brad and Em on the firetruck. Re enactment of a cute photo of the two of them from years back.

Word.

The kids on the truck.  Emerson, Ava, Andrew and their friend Evan in the back. Evan knew everyone in town and was heard yelling from atop the truck "Where is so and so?" and then I'd hear a "He's not home right now!" He's adorable and a possible politician in the making. In the best sense of the word. I was honestly waiting to see if he'd find a baby to kiss. He also talked the two Army guys into arm wrestling him and then he took photos making it look like he'd won.

Andrew, Emerson, Me, Brad and Ava. I think Evan must have been arm wrestling at this point!

We hit the Carnie afterward for some huge fries, a jumbo hot dog for Brad and his obsession with finding elephant ears at any and all carnivals. He often leaves upset. Of note: I'm a vegetarian these days. Carnivals are not a great place for veggie fare. Just sayin'.

This is what I get to see when I hit the post office to mail various Etsy items. This neighborhood is so beautiful. I feel grateful to live here everyday!

Finally..I am still eating cake and thrifting. I've even got before and afters to share. I am just busy in the pool, walking dogs..and living life since summer is so short here. I am committed to squeezing every last drop of summer fun into these next few months! I found this thrifting last week and was very happy. TWO DOLLARS, people! This wire basket is currently housing the dogs Kong Balls. If you don't have these, buy them! You put peanut butter and dog food or treats in them, freeze them. It keeps them busy for at least an hour and QUIET.

Please ignore grout here. It needs to be redone and resealed. It's a rental so we're probably not going to reinstall something new.

Have a great Monday, Peeps!

Living Large~

xo~

T