Fickle Food

Here’s another thing you may not know about me, in addition to restoring antique dolls and teddy bears I also create original antique style mohair bears. My bears are made from antique patterns and from German Schulte mohair with premium wool felt pads, excelsior stuffing, wooden disk joints, old shoe button eyes and a floss nose and claws, just as the old ones were made. This bear’s name is Albert and he looks to be about a century old because he is very distressed, his fur appears moth-eaten and sparse, his pads are thread-bare and stitched in places. And Albert’s not just distressed on the outside, this is one lonely little bear! His best friend has just sold and poor Albert still has no home. Look at him…sad little bear with his little red sweater, he has become disillusioned by the world!

Have you ever felt disillusioned? Maybe you are unhappy about your job or your town, or politics or just the world in general. Or maybe you are unhappy about something relatively small, like some neighbor who is letting his dog bark all night, or some jerk who ripped you off. It may be just a pet peeve, something that simply annoys you. It really doesn’t matter.

You need a hug. Albert needs a hug. A big bear hug. This contest is meant to be cathartic. Albert and I are inviting you to get whatever is bugging you off your chest…no matter how large or small, petty or important. Just write a post about it and link back to this post, but please lets avoid name-calling and profanity, we like to try and run a nice friendly contest here! And I promise you–and promises are very important to me, three weeks from today, one entry will be randomly drawn, from a hat, a bowl, a bird nest, whatever is handy, and that person will win this totally awesome, original mohair bear. I will also link to the entrants. It’s a promise.

Oh! I forgot to tell you, Albert is 18″ tall, he’s a big fella but he doesn’t eat much!

So now that you’ve got your Bandanna bedroom all planned out, where do you plan to sit? I LOVE this Birdcage rocker. The Rocker was copied from an old 1920s Ohio chair, but no doubt it’s a whole lot sturdier. It’s built from Hickory saplings and has an oak slat seat. The picture shows Old Red. But there are 13 other Finishes. Rocker measures 39″ tall by 23″ wide.

This rustic Footstool would go with your new rocker. Like the rocker, it’s built of sturdy hickory and oak. Piece is shown in Old Blue, but comes in the same thirteen finish choices as the rocker. Stool measures approximately 12″ high by 15″ long.

I guess I’m lucky, at least in regards to shoe-size. I wear an eight to an eight and a half, which seems to be about average. But imagine for a moment, going into a shopping mall hoping to purchase a cute little pair of strappy sandals in a size 12, only to find that all the larger sized shoes look like they were designed for a nursing home resident and not a hip, happening girl like you! Or what if you yearned for a sexy stiletto and every shoe in your size had blinking lights, cartoon characters or rainbow shoestrings?

Fortunately, it appears the shoe-industry is finally taking notice of both full footed ladies and gals with petite feet. Up & Under Shoes, is an online womens shoe source that caters specifically to both larger and smaller than average sized feet. At Up & Under Shoes you can find all the hot new styles and designer brands you’ve been craving in sizes 4 to 6 and 10 to 13. They’re just a click away, so check them out!

I’m going to do things a bit differently for awhile. I’m in a “theme” sort of mood lately. I get that way when my life becomes too busy, suddenly I feel the need to compartmentalize things, even my blogs. So starting today, Thursday is going to be “Western day”. And I will feature western items, whether it be decor, fashion, food. I don’t know how long I will continue this, either until my life slows down or I get sick of themes. I may of course, interrupt my western mode for the occasional paid post, but rest assured, today at least, I will be thinking about barbecue and bandannas while I write it. My first western pick is this great Pamela Kline Base Camp bed set. Features cotton denim Duvet and red, 200 thread count Bandanna sheets. Includes flat and fitted sheets and pillowcases. When I first saw this set it made me think of my new friend, Lori, her site, A Cowboys Wife, would fit right in here!

This hand-painted Red Bandanna Frame is made of solid wood, glass front. Holds a 4″ x 6″ photo.

Hey! You in the mood to do something crafty? Make your own bandanna pillow! Myself, I would use a color other than white for background, but that’s just me!

Looking for a vintage seventies feel? This bold Victorian Birdcage Sheet Set includes one striped flat sheet with a turquoise blue border, one blue fitted sheet, and a striped pillowcase with a blue border, in 220 thread count percale. Sizes include, twin or dorm, full and queen. Reversible comforter sold separately. 220 thread count cotton percale. Imported. Curtains come in sets of two, black and white cotton print with tab top. 56″ x 86″.

Cotton-poly cameo pillow features silhouette of Lady in red and black. 18″x 18″. Also sold separately.

Now here is a mat you can feel really good about! These colorful and durable RECYCLED FLIP FLOP MATS are made from surplus foam rubber generated in
the making of flip-flop sandals. These unique mats come in both large and small sizes, and because they are recycled, vary in color and pattern.

Jonathan Simon has elevated the kitchen utensil to ART! These fabulous spoons, tongs, spatulas and more, are hand-crafted from cherry, a hardwood known for it’s strength, beauty and durability, then flame-blackened with stripes, spots and designs. I particularly like the cat-tail salad server. I really hope my kids are reading my posts, they could be getting so many great ideas for what to get their mama for Christmas, birthdays and mother’s day!

Not into stripes? How about these spotted spoons?

Or these great flame blackened pieces, like this pie server…

Like something a little more graphic? Go spiral!

Sometimes I think I have a loose wire somewhere between my brain and my mouth. Someone will ask me a question, I know exactly how I intend to respond, the pertinent information needed to respond has already been located, sorted and approved by my brain and yet when I open my mouth to speak, something entirely different comes out. See the pretty plant?

My mom came over a while back, she looked around my yard and seeing this lovely purple plant, said; ” What’s that purple stuff growing on your garage?” To which I replied, “Oh that’s my Chlamydia, it’s been spreading like crazy this year.”

Now my brain knows perfectly well that this lovely purple plant is called Clematis, not Chlamydia, which is a not so lovely STD that generally does not thrive on the sides of garages. The message was just lost somehow en route…

A while back I was relating a story to the fabulous miss Skeeterbess about my recent bug travails (and my propensity for brain farts). Skeet is in the pest control business so I felt compelled to tell her my most embarrassing bug story. It went something like this: One of our renters called at nearly midnight to tell us that there were termites swarming in her kitchen. Well, needless to say I barely slept a wink the rest of the night. First thing the next morning I called the exterminator and told him; “I need you to go over to the rent house right away, it has a turnip infestation!”
Silence.
Then, ” Pardon mam?” So I told him AGAIN, ” We have a TURNIP infestation…in our rent house!” The guy says totally dead-pan; “Yeah, the turnips are really bad this year.”
I am pretty sure he tells that story at every annual bug convention.

Okay, admittedly I look an itty-bit batty, a tad teched in this self-portrait, a little like a deer in the headlights, just before it becomes a hood ornament. And yes I am sweaty and rumpled and most of my makeup has melted off and pooled in my belly-button, but I had a rough day. I spent the best part of Saturday in our super-heated garage getting stuff ready for what we hope will be the mother of all yard sales. In case you’re wondering, the hairy thing on my chin is not visible evidence of impending menopause, it is Brownie, one of our poms…only right now she looks more like a chihuahua. I shaved her to the skin when we went to Bloomington…but you know all about her trauma IF you have been reading my posts! Brownie weighed about three pounds at age four, but now, like me, she’s getting that middle-age spread. It just looks cuter on her.

I think I’ve mentioned I have a bit of a fixation with wrap dresses and tops, so here’s a couple for you mommas to be. This Puff Sleeve Drape Top is made of soft, voluminous knit. The longer length will cover those funny looking slacks panels and the tie at side will allow for future expansion. Comes in black or avocado.

This Mini Wrap Dress has puff sleeves and an adjustable tie for every stage of pregnancy. Ties at side for soft feminine look. Comes in black and a deep sea blue.