Love and Hate

Love......

Fallifying the front porch with fairy tale pumpkins and mums.

And farmers' market flowers on my dining room table.

Hate.......

That the special room is all junked up again.

I go through these phases where it's all clean.  And I can leave the door open.  And people can see it.

Then we have company or something.

And I use it to hide piles of laundry.  Or my hoarded thrifted finds that haven't quite made it to the booth yet.

I'm so ashamed.

Love and Hate (2012)

Looking back, this year was full of mostly good things.  There was a lot to love about 2012.

But life gets thrown at you sometimes.  And sometimes you just hate it.  Not life, I guess.  But circumstances. 

I couldn't foreshadow the feelings I'd have upon losing my Grampy.  I miss him like crazy.  I think about him every single day.  I even catch myself thinking about emailing him some random thing.  That's what we did. 

I haven't figured out how to channel my sadness when it washes over me.  So I just cry.

That was the worst thing about 2012.

But with the bad comes the good.  And the year was filled with things to be thankful for.

Serious things like a having a good job and my health.

And some silly things too.  Like my new car......

Having had my previous car since 1998, buying this was pretty monumental.  

*   *   *   *

I finally finished the special room......

I mean, how long did this take me?

*   *   *   *

The booth continued to be a fun hobby.......

Can this please be my full time gig???

I could be an American Picker.

I could.

*   *   *   *

And the blog grew by leaps and bounds........

EEEEEEEKKK!  How did this happen!?!?!

I don't even know, but I'm ever so thankful for my supportive blog buddies and the new friendships that have formed this year.

I pray that 2013 yields as many blessings as 2012 did.

Happy New Year!


 

 Linking up with:

Love and Hate

In June of 1998, I bought my very first brand new car.  Right off the lot.  With only twelve miles on it.

That was a big day.

Here we are 14 years and a few miles later.

Speaking of miles.  A milestone occurred this week.....

Your eyes do not deceive you.  That says 150,000.

Which leads me to the love & hate segment of this post............

Love:

• My car is obviously paid off.  Not having a car payment is spectacular.  
• Insurance is cheap.
• It doesn't look old.  I've taken good care of it.  
• Despite the normal aging a car goes through, it has been a very reliable ride.  Go Ford!

Hate:  

• Due to the normal aging a car goes through, I've had my share of stranded moments the last few years.  And you never know when that will happen.
• Because of those stranded moments, I took advantage of the free roadside assistance my insurance provided.  Thus being dropped from the towing part of my policy.
• The miles.  150,000 sounds scary. 
• I found three dime-sized paint bubbles recently.  Peeling paint is not attractive.

*   *   *   *   *

If you weigh it out, I have more to love than hate.  I have replaced just about every part that could fail in the last three or so years.  So basically, I'm driving a new car. 

And now I think I should just go knock on wood.

Love & Hate: Work Edition

When school starts, I can think of nothing else than longing for it to be October.

Why?  I want to know my kiddos.  I want to have our routines established.  I want to feel like I'm back in the groove.

Usually, by October, most of that is in place. 

And by October, I usually have some work related joys.  And woes.

Here is one of each......

Love:  Random bouquets of flowers

Today, one of my precious girls showed up with two.  dozen.  roses.  For me.

I mean, the mister hasn't even done that.  Come on.

But seriously, the little gifts, whether it's a card, one of their stuffed animals, or two dozen roses make you feel dyn-o-mite no matter what.

And the fact that it was a Monday didn't hurt.........to get the week started off right and all.

*   *   *   *

Hate:  Smelly Shirts

Yes, people.  You read that right.  Shirts that smell.

Remember Scratch & Sniff stickers?

Well, times have changed, and now they make Scratch & Sniff shirts.

I experienced the horror last Monday.  A child (that shall remain nameless) wore a garlic Scratch & Sniff shirt.

This being the most offensive of them all, so sayeth unnamed child.

He owns all. seven. scents.

His team couldn't even stand the smell.  They begged to sit elsewhere that day.

He found it pretty amusing.

The next day he wore peanut butter and jelly.....

It was bearable.

But still.  I can only imagine the horror that awaits me.

There are, after all, five more shirts to go.

Love and Hate

Hate:

That this is what Angi's house looks like....

That is her driveway, facing where her house would have been.

I asked her where she would have hunkered down had she been home.  She said in her hallway.  I'm so thankful she wasn't home.

*   *   *   *

Love:  

Angi's dog was found today.  Alive and well.....

I cried in the middle of Relics when she called with the good news.

Some folks a few blocks away found her and took her to the Humane Society.  Luckily, Angi had already covered her bases and had given them a picture in case someone brought her in.  The employees knew immediately that it was Trixie.

What a sweet reunion!

Love & Hate: Food Edition

LOVE:  White Chicken Chili

Yes, I realize we're on the edge of soup and chili season.  But with the recent snowfall and temps in the 30's, I figured it was still okay to whip up a batch.

This recipe hails all the way from Miami, Oklahoma and was shared by a coworker last year (hollaaaaa to Andrea Singer).  She graciously handed out the recipe, and I've been making it ever since.  It is soooo easy and even more tasty.

I did tweak the directions a bit to accommodate some issues I had, which I'll explain further in a moment.

And because I'm too lazy to type out the ingredients and such, you get a photo of the recipe instead:

Like I said, I did deviate from the directions a little because this recipe calls for two things I detest.......

*   *   *

HATE:  Onions and raw chicken

The only good kind of onion is a fried one.  In the shape of a ring.

All other onions can take a flying leap. 

I have hated onions since the beginning of time.  So much so, that as a child, I would try to separate them from whatever they were in.........hide them in a napkin........and try to flush the whole lot.

Onions are very good at floating.

I had to get more crafty after that incident.

Anyway, for this recipe, I omit the onion step, which leads me to raw chicken......

Raw chicken makes me gag.  I can barely touch it.  It's slimy.  There are yucky parts which need to be cut away.

Frozen chicken, which is cooked in a crockpot and not slimy, is how I roll.

But that adds a few hours to the process, so I thought I'd try canned chicken.  I was extremely unsure of this choice, until I actually opened a can.  It didn't look too suspicious.  It was all white meat.  I eat tuna from a can.  How was it that different?

Yes, this was better than sauteing chicken with onions.

So I took the leap with two cans of chicken and a few shakes of onion powder, and I've never looked back.  It tastes exactly the same as the original sample I'd gone crazy for.  Annnnnd it's quicker.  Easier too. 

Mom would tell me that onions add flavor.

Whatever.

Love and Hate: Spring Break Edition

Spring Break Love:

1.  Being able to thrift!!!

Behold two similar belts.........

One thrifted from Salvation Army for $1.20.  

The other purchased for $30 at American Eagle.

Can you guess which is which?

*   *   *

2.  Springing forward!!!

I love that the sun is hanging around a little longer each evening.   And that I got a whole week off to adjust to the loss of an hour!

*   *   *

3.  Catching up with my sissy and her bebes!

They have been in Hawaii since December 25th.  They returned at the beginning of my break, so I got to see them whenever I pleased.

*   *   *

4.  Home improvement!!

Getting my kitchen shelves installed and decorated, along with hanging some other hoarded finds felt really good.  The house is feeling super cozy.

And while we're on the subject of home improvement, let's talk curtains.  My friend Andrea helped me whip up some for my bathroom! 

Not too bad for a Saturday afternoon......

 

The mister even approved and was excited that he no longer had to drape a towel across the window.  Thank you, Andrea!!!!

*   *   *   *

Now you might be wondering "What in the world is there to hate about spring break?"  

Let's get to that!

Spring Break Hate: 

1.  It's over.

2.  It gives you a taste of what summer feels like, and then it's snatched away from you in an instant.  You are thrust back into reality, and you have to (gasp) work.

It's pretty cruel, if you ask me.

But would I do it over again?  

You know it.

Love & Hate

Love: Draining tubs, washers, and flushing toilets

Today was special because after four days with a clogged drainage system, I came home to flushing, non-overflowing toilets, a tub that drained, and a washer that did not back up into the tub. Which would then not drain. And had to be bailed out with Tupperware bowls into the front yard. Because dumping them in the sink only made the tub refill with the just bailed water.

Good times.

Using every towel you own to frantically soak up toilet water is not my idea of a relaxing evening upon returning to work after Christmas break.

After Hours Plumbing helped salvage my sanity.

Properly draining pipes. Such a small thing. I'm thankful for it.

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Hate: Ceiling fans

My feelings for ceiling fans can best be described in a very brief monologue by me:

"I hate them."

My hatred for ceiling fans is equal to my hatred for appliances on counters in the kitchen. I hate appliances on the counters in the kitchen just. as. much. as I hate ceiling fans.

But here's the deal.....there are some things that are just necessary evils.

Like ceiling fans.

And the occasional appliance on a kitchen counter.

Sooooo when replacing the lighting in the revamped living room, we knew we needed another ceiling fan to replace the old one. Mainly because the wood-burning fireplace is in that room. And when that's roaring, a ceiling fan is required to circulate the air.

Thus being a necessary evil.

But with an updated living room, we needed an updated fixture. One without caned blades....


Not to mention being monstrous.

Instead we went for something much smaller and less ornate......


Still a ceiling fan. Still hated. But less awful. Right?

Oh, anyone need a used ceiling fan, in great working order, with an antiqued brass patina?

Love & Hate

I know. Two consecutive "Love & Hate" entries.

SORRY!

How bout I mix it up and do the "hate" part first.............


Hate: Daylight savings.

#1. It makes me feel like I'm running late for work in the morning, since it's now light out when I leave for school.

#2. When I get home, I feel like it's already bedtime. The early onset of darkness makes me so sad. Especially on these 70 degree days we've been having.

Another hate: Cave crickets.

Again.

There was not only one, but TWO cave crickets in the bathroom last night.

You all know how I feel about them.

And the mister was asleep already. So guess who had to kill them?

Luckily, my shoe aim was on last night. (And it was the mister's shoe. Shhhh!!!!)

I get the heebie geebies just typing about it.

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Love: I got to hear my favorite Christmas song live and in person Friday night. I didn't cry, but I did smile the whole time. It made me very happy.

It's a wonder I didn't have a seizure at the concert. There were crazy lights. They had fire and fireworks. It was great.


Minus a few cheesy moments........cue choreographed dance moves, arm motions, and hair flinging. Oh, and narration too.

Yeah, none of those things work for me.

But the instrumentals and vocals were outstanding.

(The very small, sideways video.....not so outstanding)

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Love (again): My favorite shop, Leola's had their annual holiday open house last week, and I left with more of one of my obsessions: vintage Shiny Brite ornaments.

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Even MORE Love: I never win stuff.........so something crazy is going on........because I have won THREE things this week.

• An apron at Ashley's Pampered Chef party......

Thank you Ash and Kathy!!

• A headband from Blue Cottage Kids (for my niece)! Thank you Vanilla Tulip for hosting this giveaway!
  

• A facial or glycolic peel (both a $50 value) from Esthetiques (my fave spa)......

Speaking of Esthetiques, I have to rave about them. They hosted a Customer Appreciation Night this week, and I walked away with not only the gift certificate for the facial but also a free eyebrow wax, a free 20 minute massage, a free manicure, and a gift bag filled with samples and discounts. They had treats and drinks too. It was amazing.

So basically, I have way more to love than to hate.

And my bushy eyebrows have been tamed.

And my fingernails are bright red.

I feel pretty lucky.

Love & Hate

Love: That this is coming up on FRIDAY............


This group is amazing. They sing one of my fave Christmas tunes. I just might cry when they perform it.

Seriously.

Yeah, I'm excited.

I might even buy a t-shirt.

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Hate: That Cracker Jack toys just aren't what they used to be.

No offense, Cracker Jack makers, but I liked the trinkety things from back in the olden days, like the little figurines or mini whistles.

Or the rings.

I'd take a tattoo even.

So when I opened my bag o' treats the other day with excited anticipation, I was pretty darn disappointed in this...........


No offense to Ben Franklin, but finding an educational leaflet puzzley thing wasn't exactly what my nostalgia filled heart was longing for.

I still love Cracker Jacks. They are mighty tasty.

Now I just know not to get my hopes up for a poodle figurine.

Love & Hate

Love:

1. Cowboy Grillers


These babies are cheap, tasty, and easy to grill up!

Dillon's, my friends, Dillon's.

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2. Clinique Bonus Time


I love me some sort of free makeup. If it's not MAC, it's Clinique. And I just can't refuse a free bag, mascara, eyeshadow compact, and lipstick (in my favorite color).

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3. Walking Sir Chester


He's getting the hang of it. Mostly.

I really enjoy walking around the neighborhood on these perfect fall evenings.

Until this week.

Which leads me to the "hate" part.

Well, now, hate is a strong word. I should reserve that for how I feel about cole slaw and bananas.

And spiders.

Let's downgrade it to "dislike" instead.

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Dislike:

While on a walk this week, I struck up a conversation with a neighbor down the way that I'd never even seen. A teenage girl. I liked her dog. I inquired about the breed (Pomeranian and rat terrier mixes are super cute).

And then we continued on our merry way.

End of story.

Or so I thought.

Not thirty minutes later, our doorbell rings.

Guess who is standing on our front porch.....crying hysterically.......mascara running down her face?

Yes, our friend from about ten doors down with a Pomeranian/rat terrier mix.

How did she know where to find us? We'd never seen her before. Was this some scheme? Did she watch us walk home from all the way down the street?

She needs a phone. Mom upset her. She wants to call a friend to come to her rescue.

Oh. Great.

Ohhhhh. Great.

And although that's not the end of the story, that's where I'll stop.

The moral of the story is: don't talk to strangers.

Even if you like their dog.

Love & Hate

Loves.........

1. All things Farmers' Market..........

I can't resist Farmers' Market flowers.

It's impossible.

I try!

But I always come home with some.......

And that vase? It's part of a collection I'm building for that skanky area above the dishwasher in the kitchen. It's from Leola's.

Of course it's vintage.

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My hairdresser also sets up at the market to sell her handmade jewelry. I've purchased several pieces from her. I found this at her booth for half off this weekend......


And she gifted the earrings to me for free!

It was all wrapped in that hilarious flamingo bag.

Flamingos make everything better.

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2. Pumpkins......

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Which isn't really a patch.

It's more like a big cage.

With every type of pumpkin under the sun........


I like the different-er varieties. No normal pumpkins for me.

My favorites are called Cinderella and Fairytale.

And that's exactly what came home with me......


For more fall-ifying of the house.....

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Hate..........

Football.......

I have zero interest in the sport. But it takes over my life every fall.

Sunday afternoon.

Monday night.

I am a football widow.

Now don't confuse my hatred of football with my affection for attending high school football games. I have the band, after all, to look forward to, along with the atmosphere and concession stand vittles.

Anyway, if you can't tell, I don't care about football. But I do like hearing the mister scream and shout from the other room when his team scores a touchdown.

And I like the food that accompanies football.

Food always makes things better.

Love & Hate

Hate: Not being able to use my vintage cabinet in the newly remodeled bathroom........


Because the mister bought a new one (behind my back) that matches the vanity and hung it while I was at work.......


Now I realize that many of you are beside yourself at the sight of my vintage cabinet. But I had plans for it. Nothing a little wire brush and spray paint couldn't fix. Can't you just see it above the toilet?

Oh well.

Secretly, I do like the new cabinet.

Don't tell the mister.

And now I have new plans for the vintage one. Just wait til the laundry room gets an overhaul.

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Love: Sir Chester and amusement parks.......

Sir Chester: He likes to hang out in the kitchen cabinets, since the doors still haven't been installed yet.....


This pastime is coming to a close for Sir Chester as Bob made an appearance last week to work on the kitchen.

Amusement parks: Me likey some roller coasters at night. Especially when the temperature is perfect. And you're with great friends.

More on amusement parks: I also like winning prizes for looking younger than I actually am...........


This amusement park "game" consisted of me standing there while being asked a question or two. Then the worker guessed my age.

He guessed 27.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

And now I have another, more authentic, sombrero to dress JFK busts with.

Love & Hate ~ 2nd Edition

Hate: Cave Crickets

One morning before work, I was greeted by one of these, perched atop my bathroom sink. Like it was waiting for me...............


I hate these creatures. Almost more than spiders.

Well, more than spiders actually. Because they jump. High. And they're fast. Super fast. Impossible to slam with a shoe.

And they find you at the most inopportune moments. Since they seem to be nocturnal and show up while you're barefoot and groggy.

So what did I do upon noticing the little creeper?


Well, I trapped it, of course. In a mug. In the sink. And filled the sink with water. Then smiled a smug little smile and went to fix my morning coffee.

And upon returning, there he was again. Same place as before. Looking at me from sink's edge.

Smug smile gone when realizing he'd crawled down the drain, which I hadn't plugged, and up through the overflow drain.

Round two begins: Drain closed..........check. Captured in mug..........check. Water in the sink.........check.

Left it all for the mister to find when he got up for work later.

I did leave a sweet note explaining the situation.

That is why I hate cave crickets.

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Love: The Annual Garage Sale

This huge event is coming up this weekend!!!! It never ceases to amaze me, that even though we donate every bit of what we don't sell, we are able to fill a driveway again every summer.

My goodies are priced and ready! Unlike last year, I'm not parting with anything sentimental. So I'm sure not to get teary eyed over selling anything. And I'm hoping we have time for a fashion show again. Some different friends are joining the crew this year, so it'll be bigger than ever! And more fun than ever!

That is why I love the annual garage sale.

Love & Hate

Hate: Sir Chester's cone collar.........


Sir Chester underwent a little snip snip last week. And because he is a "chewer," he is required to wear that contraption for at least a week.

He hates it.

I hate it.

Why, you wonder???

Sir Chester's vision and depth perception are quite impaired with the wearing of the cone. Thus, my poor shins have become incredibly scratched and scraped from the sharpish plastic device.

Poor shins.

That is why I hate the cone.

Sir Chester hates the cone for entirely different reasons. He can't scratch his head, although he repeatedly tries (and the sound of dog paw on plastic is not music to the ears). He can't reach his nether regions (which is the purpose of the cone). And it really does impede his eating and drinking practices.

Poor Chester.

That is why Chester hates the cone.

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Love: Vintage gardening paraphernalia.......


Watering my flowers is way more fun when I use old stuff for this job. The watering can belonged to Kenny's grandmother. Dad gave me the old brass nozzle for my hose. And I picked up that cute vintage sprinkler at an antique sale. It totally works........


Who wouldn't wanna run through that on a hot summer day? Or at least water the hostas.....