He Makes Me Homemade Soup

My Sweet Husband Brad..a.k.a. "Carrier Pigeon Uno"- not entirely his fault as he works as a registered nurse at the U of M and comes into contact with germs aplenty....gave me the gift of a very bad May cold.

For all my body knows, it's January. The nice weather outside tells me different. Anyways...what I'm trying to say is this sucks. Seriously...coughdrops in May?  Hacking and sweating and then being cold while it's 70 degrees outside your bedroom window and you can hear neighbor kids play?

This is what gave me relief:

Bradders makes a mean and delightful homemade chicken noodle soup!  THIS bowl above (and I've had three now!) is really the only thing that has made me feel good in the past few days.  I would be remiss if I didn't give props to Alka Seltzer Nighttime Cold Relief as well. Thank god for science! I slept for the first time in days. I think I even said "Brad, even IF I look like I'm dead or am about to wet myself, if I'm sleeping..just let me sleep." That's how tired and miserable.

Sidebar: Brad's a really good cook of EVERYTHING. If I have a favorite dish someplace, he'll make it his own and it's usually wayyy better!  This sometimes has a tendency to ruin foods at other places...but oh well.




Thank you ALSO Brad..for your fence abilities! Fence is up. Dogs are safe. Praise God!

I've also turned some coffee sacks into pillow covers. Shove pillow in, fold in back...voila! You have a new look. Brad did say "These are kind of scratchy and don't seem to feel good."  Try heels, Brad. Just sayin.

At Kimbolee: "Looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker!"


Beyond that, I've not much to share. I eat soup. I rest. I gag. I gargle with hot salt water (Brad makes fun of me but I always tell him "Listen, the old timers KNEW what they were doing!") and last night I had a turkey sandwich with fried green tomatoes and a blondie with maple sauce of some sort. Life must involve cakes or treats, hence the name of this blog!


Wishing everyone health & wellness & if you'd like to send some of those vibes my way- I'd be forever appreciative!

HOLLA!

xxoo

Building Friends By Building A Fence

We really need to corral our two chitlins. They are sweet, but Miss Daisy is old and a bit crazy. She can't really be trusted with little ones and has been "known" to run, growl & end up on our newish neighbor's front door step (insert huge YIKES here. Yes, I felt like a total A-Hole that day! What do you say? "Sorry! She seems to think the whole block including your casa is hers! He He.") and do a full-on flip out.

Our little baby on the right..Curtis...has a tendency to run after anyone on a bike, motorcycle...birds, leaves...cotton....he'll end up six blocks away following a bird and it's SCARY.  We have been gifted with a free fence from my brother (Thank you, Steve! I know you don't read this blog, but thank you!) and hopefully in a few days, these two will be running around our backyard, chasing balls..God knows what else while I can sit, enjoy & not worry about anyone going missing OR a neighbor or small child being scared to death. Yayyy! So excited.





Thank YOU, Bradders! Here he is on Saturday, pounding posts into our clay ground. According to the man at the rental place, this is some of the hardest clay in the land. After trying to garden here, I concur!

Seriously...he's so cute. I luhhhs him.

In other news...Brad has given me a cold as he's an RN and is a bit of what I'd deem a "carrier pigeon" of disease. Ugh. Nothing like sucking on Halls mentholyptus cough drops in May!

Also...saw Celeb Apprentice last night and spoiler alert..Lisa Lampanelli was fired.

She is a horrible human being. Watching her made me feel sick. Sadly, I found it funny when Lou Ferrigno told her weeks back "If you were a man, I would have hit you."  She's definitely no woman's woman. AWFUL human.

Clay Aiken: You're kind of weak. For a gay man who has most likely been put down throughout life, you should stick up for others more.

Just sayin.

Hope your Monday is fabulous!

xxoo

T

Pinterest Love Round Two PLUS Etsy Finds!

Hey, Hey!

It's that time of the week folks!

Yep, a round up of all things fine and found via Pinterest this week. I'm also adding in a few Etsy items as I've found some VERY cute and fun items recently AND my shop is back open after a sabbatical.



We will start with pretty, cute & rustic hanging chalkboard signs.

These are currently for sale in my Etsy shop. View full listing here:http://www.etsy.com/shop/belou492?ref=si_shop



**All other finds will have NOTHING to do with me or my shop. Have no fear!**




Cutest and most fun thing I found on Etsy this week that I MUST buy:

Tell me that this is not MOST fabulous! Doesn't it remind you of your childhood? Catching fireflies? Reading "Ramona the Brave" with a flashlight even though you were supposed to be sleeping? No? Well, it's super nostalgic for me! LOVE. LOVE!!

Can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/98990410/4-oz-star-jar-upcycled-constellation?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share






I have yet to try these & feel I am missing out. They look delightful.

While I've never eaten a ONE of these, I did have super fried donuts last night at Houlihans before Emerson's spring concert.  They were all served in a "flight" like a wine flight..with chocolate and some other amazing white sauce in martini glasses. My husband kept referring to them as "hey! these are italian style!" and when pressed, could give no other information. I think he made it up, but A+ for cute factor.





Extremely gorgeous backsplash! Use this if you have no plans to sell your home in the next few years as it's quite taste specific, but LOVERLY. I think it's Ann Sacks, but I'm not positive. Image via Pinterest.

Love this idea for storing twine or anything...super cute & inexpensive. Via Pinterest.

Such a great idea for light switch covers. They are rarely "pretty" to me & can be quite expensive to upgrade. This idea from http://housewivesofriverton.blogspot.com is clever!

Have a tiny bathroom? This idea is SO clever to me! So clever! Would have just stored some wine in it and would have never thought of this! Brilliant and via http://itsrusticliving.blogspot.com

Finally....idea for the day. I love this. Beautiful, simple & straightforward. Via Pinterest.

Hoping your Friday evening is fabulous, whatever you do. I may be watching HGTV's "Happy Hour"..or is that tomorrow? Who knows? I do know my hubby is interested in watching "The White Room Challenge" on HGTV. Ha! That was a joke. "That was for you, Bradders."


Lamp, Lifeboat, Ladder!!

xxooo

T

Me, My B/F/F, Flowers & Buffalo

My best friend Kim drove an HOUR to my house yesterday so we could spend the day together hitting the thrift and quaint stores of Buffalo, MN.

The weather was nice.

I was wearing my cool new sweater that she told me was "sexy". I kid you not. It's got a hood on it. I don't see that as sexy. But that's what a true friend does: Lifts you up.

We excitedly drove to Buffalo which is about a half hour from my house. It's a beautiful country drive. She asked me about the many areas of water on the way. So much so (and it was hilarious and cute) that my answer ended up being "I just enjoy the beauty of the various waterways here. I don't question the design or the why."

We park. We hit the spot downtown where the tar is squishy and satisfying to stick a shoe into. Yes, I know it sounds like I'm 8 again. There's just something very satisfying about walking over it. I think I may have yelled "look! the heel of my boot is in it now! Man!!"

Don't judge.


Me and Kim. How cute is she?

She has the highest level of excitement of anyone I have ever known. She has been known to say things similar to this "..and then we'll go to the GAS STATION together, Yayyy!"

She is adorable. Hilariously funny.  Crazy smart. And she has been my memory for the past 30 years. (we are cousins first and foremost. I've known her as long as I've known about ME.) She is also a good barometer for what I should and shouldn't do. She's always very supportive and is friendly when you do "wrong".  She has said this to me "Well...I mean..that wasn't the BEST way to go about it or perhaps the BEST way to say it. But hey."


I digress. We got to our favorite little store in Buffalo and...IT WAS CLOSED.  I think we both gasped! The horror. Apparently the hours have changed and they are now only open specific days. So..like a bunch of weirdos, we sat staring in the windows of a darkened store for a good 20 minutes oohing and ahhhing over what we would have bought.  We contemplated calling the "help" number and letting them know that we were ready to buy and buy BIG if someone would come in for an hour to sell us stuff.


We also hit the Dollar General a few blocks away. Kim almost ran over the guy who works there. She will fight me on this, but the wheels of her car got VERYCLOSE to him.


We were forced to move on to...flowers!!!

These were taken with my phone so they're not GREAT, but you get the idea.





I wish this had turned out better, but I have my memories! The outdoor flower market is right next to the lake and it's sooo pretty!

I bought some begonias and dahlias and we moved on to ANOTHER closed antique store (note to self: Not on Mondays in smalltown Minnesota, I guess.) but were able to peruse the wares out back.



This little sign actually read  "nice red shelf". How's that for selling? Almost "ballsy" in its simplicity! Now that's confidence!  Thanks to my droid phone for its amazing photographic capabilities.

I can't be sure, but I really "feel" like this dog sculpture is the pose of a dog, ANY dog really in formation to go to the biffy. And I don't mean just peeing. Good times!

The obligatory sculpture and old doors and windows area. Ahh. I love it!

Finally. Truer words (for me) could not be spoken.  Image via Pinterest

It was a lovely day! LOVELY! Now it's about to rain here and the wind has kicked up, as per usual. I don't think I'll be planting anything today. But I do have my memories and like an older person...perhaps today is a day for "watching my stories."

I don't know.


Wishing you a splendid Tuesday!!  (To Kim: "We're Tuesday people!")


xxoooo~

T

Pinterest Love Friday!

McSwoon! My b/f/f sent me this today & I say YES! (All images in this post via Pinterest)

However, if you read (and saw!) how my quatrefoil DIY bookcase went (or is "in the making") you'll probably doubt my skillZ a bit. I can take it. I get it. Unh Huh!






Is this not a beautiful idea for shutters? I NEVER think of placing them in the biffy!  I currently have four in various colors & think I may actually be up to the task of doing this!!

I also like the idea of stenciling A bathroom wall because I know that more than one (without Brad's help) will probably never come to fruition. "Know thyself!"





May I present to you today's COMFY KNIT!! Super cute & comfy looking AND helps the people of Haiti? I say YES!  Here's the link to buy: http://sevenly.org/?utm_source=PINTEREST&utm_medium=PINTEREST&utm_campaign=PINTEREST_Anilu

Did some unexpected shirt shopping with my best friend Kim last night AND am super excited by all of the pretty & fashionable YET knit and comfy shirts purchased! Of course, it's a balmy 40 degrees here today so I can't wear anything I bought- but just know I'm ready! Best part of the evening: I try a wrinkly shirt on and ask Kim "What do you think? I kind of love it."  Kim: "Ahhh..I don't know...I just think it looks like it's wrinkled, but it's not supposed to be."  Me: "That's my life! I'm getting it!"




I'd enjoy a nice lemonade here. Perhaps spiked with a little vodka.

I never knew this was on MY bucket list until I saw it on someone else's on Pinterest!

I am a complete sucker for old homes. I loved living in Tennessee for that very reason. History everywhere. Love this!

I just had a huge omelette yesterday & french toast with Brad. Clearly, I seem to feel as if I should be going back for more. It says it's supposed to be "healthy"!!

It is now time..yes..THAT time to have a nice Weight Watchers Lemon Cake! Maybe even two. "Not sure how much time we'll have!" - Will Ferrell as Frank Ricard in "Old School" as he relates his possible "nice little Saturday with the wife" to a bunch of college kids who are trying to get him to drink out of a bong.


Have a lovely Friday, All!!

xoxoxo

DIY In "My World", Dandelion Love & My Flowering Tree

Hello Friends.

Please view Exhibit A. I bought this small bookcase at a thrift store years back for $5! It was made of cheap wood & so I eventually painted it white & loved it.

About a week ago, I saw these words "Free DIY Quatrefoil Download!" and so I clicked, saw the project (a very cute plate and very well done!) and decided that MY bookcase needed quatrefoil!


To be fair...the woman giving the free download who had done the project did mention "Be sure to use cardstock when printing this out."

I am lazy at times. I just used our regular printer paper and thought "I'm a designer! I can make this work."




Lazy Printer Paper Version!!

During. As you can see, I was trying. Had my sandpaper out. High quality tape for home projects!

After. Eh.

Don't get me wrong. I love me some quatrefoil!  I need to finish the whole piece and touch up areas with white paint where the cheap paper RAISED and got wet and messy with paint. Hence the "Use cardstock or something thick" recommendation. That's exactly why this remains "in this state"..I have to get cardstock and do this properly. Getting cardstock also means I have to use an Xacto knife to carve out the relief again. A job I'm just not sure I'm ready to do again.

I share this because I'm a designer and an artist. Perhaps after seeing this, you will feel the need to argue that point. Fair enough, peeps!  It's fun to see the great and beautiful online and everywhere. I think it's also important to view the "Should've followed directions more carefully" as well as "We can't all be good at everything, dammit!"



"We need to work on your craftsmanship." I was told that in design school early on. This reminds me of that warning.

In other news that is completely unrelated: I had the misfortune of catching "Big Rich Texas" on TV the other night. God awful! Seriously? Those people are TERRIBLE. Their kids are spoiled brats, the mothers are gossips, the plastic surgery has reached unfortunate levels. The one daughter continually proclaims that she wants a boob job, but not just any. She wants porn star boobs. Parenting Failure! Ugh. I watched until the commercial and felt bummed out & dirty. I can say with certainty that I will never watch it again.





My trees are flowering! I love this time of year, minus the ticks!!

I love dandelions! I always tell my nephew "Some people will fight you on this kid, but I am telling you that dandelions are God's FREE flowers!" He used to call them Little Katrinias when he was little. To this day, we do not know where that came from. Just makes it all the more special!

I think Miss Daisy likes them too! We don't normally have cargo trucks in our neighborhood. On this day the neighbors were having their yard graded to be readied for sod.

My $1.50 tulips! Best money spent recently! They make me happy EVERY DAY.

The cuteness sometimes hurts. He's the only baby I've raised thus far. Curtis! We got him when he was three months, he turns ONE this month and he and Daisy are my chitlins. I love them so & they bring a lot of light and joy to my life. He's protective & loyal and the weiner dog/black lab combo makes him both amazing and a bit weird.

Hope your day was lovely & that your tomorrow is even better!

xoxo

Mexico Revisited & Paula Deen Sunbathing!

Realized recently that when I did my Mexico 2012 post that I completely forgot to share that a Paula Deen Look-A-Like was there with us on the beach for a few days!



Paula! Is that you?!

In real life, she could be Ms. Deen's doppelganger. I kid you not. I had to stare from afar (with sunglasses on so as  not to be rude and I tried to make it look like I was looking elsewhere.) so as to be sure. As a joke, I thought I would report to everyone "Indeed she DID have a hamburger! Two!" but then I thought "Nah."  I would like to make it clear that I LOVE Paula Deen. I do watch her show, I don't get Anthony Bourdain's aggression toward her AND she reminds me of my best friend Stephanie in Tennessee (not now, but what Steph may be like in 30 years.) I love southern accents, the use of "ya'll" and prior to her diabetes- the use of all of that butter & sugar!  It can't last forever for any of us, I guess.

I miss that water! We had a freakishly mild & some might say..beautiful March only to be somewhat disappointed by what April has had to offer here in Minnesota. I jumped the gun, bought tulips and some dianthus & now I have to pull everything inside at night when it gets cold. One day the windows are open, the next day the heater is back on WITH fireplace. It makes dressing somewhat confusing & I will tell you this: I am sick of wearing socks and boots, sweatshirts and winter attire!

Summer everyday & "Things that are alive and blooming for 500, please!"

Ahhh..Mr. Weaver..why are you so cute??

No threat of a possible frost kill here!

Brad taking the Hobie out for another spin.

Brad's little bird friends. We saw them everyday & I'd say "Brad! Your little friends are here!" and then he'd ask "Why are they MY friends?" and I'd say "That's just the way it is, Bradders."

Yep, I'm "that person" you'll see on a vacation who is taking odd shots of things. I love this. It reminds me of exactly why I like the caribbean. The structures & use of materials. Love.

And again!

Yep, I have a tendency to return this pale from any tropical vacation I take! I've grown tired of ruining my skin for a 3 day TOPS "tan". I even had a couple ask on this vacation "Did you just get here?"  Me: "Nope, I just wear 50+ spf."

In other news..I decided to hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes yesterday as I have cabin fever AND my jeans are getting tight. "A winning combination!"..the result: I am sore today! I also have a hankering for penne rosa at Noodles. I knew nothing good comes from working out. Ha!

Have a beautiful Sunday!

xxoo