Some Summer Picks...

Pureology shampoo and conditioner... my stylist used these the last time I was in and I loved them... so much so, that I bought both to use at home... ordinarily, I have issues with conditioners during the warmer months... but not this one... love love love the shampoo and conditioner both...

My Summer polish for this year... the brand... OPI... can tough out a day making sand castles and still look freshly-polished... the color... Tasmanian Devil... perfect for this time of year... day to evening and everything in between fabulous...

The only way to enjoy a jolt of java in the heat of the Summer... a creamy coffee confection on a stick... latte bars and GIANT at that... yum...

The Tervis Tumbler... is fast replacing my water bottle as the go-to Summer hydrator... fill it with ice... water... tea... lemonade... it's insulated... kinda retro... buy the lid, I did... and take it for a ride in the car...

Lazy Days...

I spent a good part of the morning with these two... Myrna Loy and William Powell... while I was supposed to be getting ready to meet Mom for breakfast and a little shopping... old movies... yet another guilty pleasure of mine... God forbid I encounter one early in the day and I'm lost...

I did manage to tear myself away long enough to telephone Mom and let her know I was running late... which turned out to be absolutely fine... because she was running late herself... along with Myrna and William that is... yes, she was hopelessly hooked on the same movie... well, at least I know it's genetic now... softens the guilt factor quite a bit... why hello Katherine... come here Cary... is that you Spencer? ...we've got some catching up to do...

Tea Time...

I loved the kitchen on the Osbournes' MTV series...

this lamp in particular...

I went to an estate sale today and found this...

I'm staying traditional with the lampshade... and saving the colander for my next chandelier...

Sweet Nothings...

I had my Mom over for dinner the other night and afterward we invariably got to reminiscing about people who have come and gone... like her Mother... my Gram. It's during these impromptu trips down memory lane that I find I pick up the out-of-the-ordinary and, often times, the sweetest little tidbits about my family. I not only found out that gardenias were Gram's favorite flower, but that my Grandfather brought her gardenias at least once a month during their marriage... that her favorite perfume was something called "Evening in Paris" ...which was so difficult to find during the war that she was compelled to switch (just for the duration)... I love these little, almost inconsequential, memories that turn those flat photographs into fully dimensional beings...

A Lick and a Promise...

Ah...Spring... and along with it the pressure to Spring clean. I try to resist that pressure until it's almost time for a good Fall cleaning. I'm always diligent about my panicked and manic great end-of-the-year, no-holds-barred, holiday clean-o-rama though (there's nothing like impending guests to get the mopping started in earnest.) "I'll just give it a lick and a promise for now." That's what my Grandmother used to say on the rare occasions she just had time to do a light cleaning. More often then I care to admit, I give my home just that... a quick lick and a promise... when I'd really ought to be picking up my entire house and shaking it until all the dust gave up and disappeared. Long gone, apparently, are the days when household chores were a scheduled and non-flexible weekly event. Monday...laundry, Tuesday...baking, Wednesday...vacuuming, you get the idea. Nowadays, I think more of us live by the "lick and a promise" method than not. Of course, I'm probably wrong... but if I am, please don't tell me... it salves the ego a bit hoping I'm not the lone slacker...

Happy Mother's Day...

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

Let Them Eat Cake...

This is a favorite recipe... perfect for those times when you need a quick dessert. I've tried both readymade and homemade icing with this cake... and it really makes a world of difference using a homemade frosting.

NO FUSS CAKE

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (20 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 box red velvet cake mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in vanilla and fold in pie filling. Add dry cake mix and stir until blended. Pour into greased 13x9 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

FROSTING
1 stick butter (softened)
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and sugar, beat until smooth. Frost cooled cake.

You Forgot the Napkin...

Someone stole my lunch from the office fridge today... it was neatly packed, bagged, initialled and dated... Who does that? Steals food, I mean... (not compulsively packages lunch food... that, of course, would be moi)... and because I had nothing else to do... like eat...ahem... on my lunch hour, I Googled "stolen lunch" and a whole slew of results popped up... who knew... this food felony thing is obviously an issue of epidemic proportions... but in order to keep a good karmic balance... I hope you who stole were in financial straits and enjoyed... and, if not, well... let my thoughts at this time turn into your not-too-distant reality. In the meantime, I'm shopping for a bento box... with a tracking device.

Currently Reading...

I am finding this book a really interesting read so far... Kelly speaks in a straightforward manner on a myriad of life experiences... I would definitely recommend this for anyone's reading list (who isn't put off by a bit of saltiness in language, as well as life) it's quirky... insightful... irreverent... thought provoking... oh, just read it for yourself... otherwise, I'll be drowning in adjectives forever...