My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Our Heritage Is Important To Our Progeny

I'm going to remind you again of my Pinterest page where I have almost 14,000 photos of nothing but eye candy. If almost 11,000 followers find them interesting and beautiful, I'm sure you'll like to at least view them. I promise you won't be disappointed. Nothing BUT eye candy. A feast for the eyes!
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There are times when I need "comfort" food. Hubby always knows because I look at him with puppy dog eyes, put my curled hands up to my chin and whine like a puppy. He knows what that means. He's a sucker for it and will run to the store for whatever I need: Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks ice cream, cinnamon rolls, Häagen Dazs butter pecan or some kind of vanilla with caramel, cake or Drumsticks ice cream cones or even Werthers caramels. It depends on how I feel as to what I want. Since I've had this terrific cough for a week, it's been especially bad. I don't feel sick, don't hurt or ache, just coughing my head off. It started when we got an inversion in our city and the cold air just made me cough when I went out in it. Know what I mean? I'm sick of it. So I sent him grocery shopping a few minutes ago and put a few "comfort" foods on the list. ;-)
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My great grandgirls, C & J, have become interested in our heritage, which is important in our church, and the oldest one who is almost 4 years old is asking about her great great grandmothers and great great great great grandmother also. I've sent my granddaughter the information but they also want stories. Stories are a big part of their lives as their Dada and Mummy read to them a lot, every night at least. So granddaughter wants me to send stories to them so they'll be acquainted with MY history. It's been a chore but I have to do it since I'm in my 70s and don't have a whole lot of time left and certainly want those little munchkins to have some memories of me. I'm also including some photos with each story so they'll know what I was like as a kid. I think it's a good idea.

While we were over there in February we saw this painting done by the one who is almost 4. I was stunned that she could actually paint a dog. You DO realize it's a dog, right? I can't even draw a stick dog!! Her father and uncle are artists though so she's inheriting it from the other side of the family. Her dada can draw just about anything. I truly have never seen so much talent in a man—computer scientist, artist, handyman extraordinaire and a story teller with a fantastic imagination.


I don't know if this photo has been photoshopped but it doesn't look real to me—beautiful!—but not real.


There's always a bit of French and a bit of English in my home, 2 groups of my ancestry besides Dutch and Mexican.


Isn't this wisteria just beautiful? Goes perfect with the shutters on this shop.


How fortunate for this homeowner to have so much light in her kitchen. But if she lives in a warm climate it must get pretty warm in there in the summer season...if she lives in the northern hemisphere, but if it's in Australia or New Zealand then it would be the winter season that's warm. I knew a guy from Australia once and he was shocked upon his first day in the U.S. because our toilet flush water swirls in the opposite direction. He thought the toilet was getting stopped up.


Just yum!!!!!!! Hubby made me a chocolate cake last night as I'm having a terrible time with a cough. Not sick, feverish, just coughing. So is he. But I wanted comfort food and that's what he baked. Wonderful hubby. ;-)


A room I love and think is very cozy.



I like this sofa but I'd probably never buy one like it. A bit too busy for my taste.


But I do love this distinctive dining room. Great for entertaining and it's made to stand out in this home. Marvelous!


Oooooh, yeah!! I could live in this home in a heart beat. Only I'd have to have someone else clean it.


A cute English cottage with pretty windows, curtains and flowers with a lush green lawn.


Another darling living room.


I love this room and the way it's arranged but that painting on the back wall would HAVE to go. I mean GOOOOOO!!! Maybe it's their kids' school/fantasy project. ;-)


Another cute pillow.


There's always room for apple pie with ice cream. I think they put a dollop of cream on this. Let's not cut corners here, just slather it with premium vanilla ice cream!!!!


And a home in Greece. They seem to love blue and pink with white the main color. Beautiful!
~*~
Linking up with Pink Saturday.    

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Th' Grandgirls' Performance in Sneaky!

When we drove over to Washington State to visit our granddaughter and her family recently, we were treated to "concerts" every day and night from the great grandgirls. Now, they both love the camera when mom has it and try whine till they can get it from her. Here is one video my granddaughter put on my thumb drive for me before we left. It shows both of them trying sneakily to get the camera after she places it on the family room coffee table. Just notice how "sneaky" the oldest one is! Then she starts to pout by laying her head on the cabinet. Just too funny for us. The youngest just goes for it without any deviousness. We love to watch them. I cannot tell you how many times I watch these videos on my iMac. As I've said before, you don't have to view it if you don't want to but I get to post it since this is my blog. ;-)



A delightful dining area.


And a delightful white one also.


Sometimes these homes seem cuter than then ones we have in this country. Look how those upper windows swing in from the cute wall beneath. Lovely garden and a sweet door swinging out.


A simply gorgeous, divine bathroom.


This reminds me of an ice cream tulip but I don't think I've ever seen one with a green center. Beautiful though.


Another lovely patio dining area.


Blue isn't my favorite color but this open shelving cabinet is adorable.


Can you imagine a bright and shiny green kitchen. Pretty and original but I think I'd tire of it fast.


Bouquet of flowers on a beautiful chair.


I'm pretty sure this is in San Francisco as I've lived close and been there many, many times. My favorite city for shopping and dining.


Just a simple vignette for a wedding party. Unique without a lot of cost. See what can be done on th' cheap.


I've always loved red and white checks and find this cute.


I'd love to have a counter this big and this pink, but then I'd have to cook and we all know how I feel about cooking more than twice a week.


Aren't these eggs gorgeous?!


I've been thinking about making one like this to hang in my laundry room. I think it's very clever and darling.
~*~
Linking up with Pink Saturday.  

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

A Story on Being Beautiful.

I'm not gorgeous nor even beautiful. I can say I am attractive, however. By that I mean "pleasing or appealing" to the senses. Even at seventy-one I get glances from men—and not just old men either, I mean younger men. I think it's my "cuteness." I'm always smiling, always ready to joke with someone and I look approachable most times. If I see someone who I think might be threatening I put on my unapproachable look. It works for me. But I've never, ever considered myself glamorous or gorgeous. I'm realistic. And cute...by my actions.

But recently I saw this video put out by the American Film Institute featuring Dustin Hoffman talking about his role in Tootsie. I want to comment on that but first take a look at the video.



It was an eye opener for me. First of all, I consider him very good-looking; he doesn't see himself that way. I'm not a big fan of his but he is a very good actor. I think if they had put on different glasses on him for the role and done a more stylish hair style he would have been lovely. But the Tootsie character looked a big "dated", in my opinion. I never saw the movie though.


But it got me thinking about how many men have passed up lovely women because they didn't fit a certain description they considered worthy of their time. I, personally, know some of the most beautiful women ever. Some never dated much, if at all, in high school or college. Sad but true. They are intelligent, funny, great to be around and just super gals. They are also women of faith. I didn't date a whole lot because I was a bit shy then and it didn't seem important as I had girl friends I hung out with mostly. Men didn't particularly interest me as a young woman. I know a woman who stands almost 6 feet tall and is married to a man about 5 feet tall. She's lovely; he's hilarious. They have several children. She said she'd never even considered marrying someone she towers over but they are a funny, happy and cute couple still having children. You'd never picture them together if you knew them separately.

This brings me to the crux of my story. I wonder how many men considered me dull, boring and not their ideal vision of a woman to marry? Then married the high school cheerleader and are divorced now. In fact, how did they view me? I got lucky with the man I did marry. He loves me unconditionally and I mean that with all my heart. He puts me on a pedestal, does just about anything I ask of him. He also thinks I'm beautiful. I also know some lovely women who are ugly inside. They don't think much of themselves, hopping from living with one guy to the next. Putting tattoos all over their lovely skin. How frightening for your babies to see only ugly objects tattooed on your body. I say this because a niece of mine is covered with tattoos and her hubby is also as that is his profession and so is her mom, my sister. You have no idea how it saddens me that their children will see frightening images on them for the rest of their lives instead of the skin God gave them. My sister was beautiful once and her daughter looks just like her. [My sister and niece never read my blog and don't even know about it so I say this knowing they'll never see what I write.] Men just use them, but you can't blame the men. Women need to take a good look at who and what they are. I am a child of a God and in doing so treat myself with respect. Hubs and I did not live together before we married. I think too much of myself and him to allow that to happen. I wasn't religious then but I am now and I'm glad we've stuck together though the hard times also. It took a long time to realize it and we rarely do when we're younger. I believe it takes many years to realize your potential and worth. You have to feel beautiful to be beautiful. I've seen many women carry it off wonderfully.

I cried when Dustin Hoffman cried in that video, mostly for his admission about how many women he did not talk to because they didn't seem to be his idea of an attractive women. I think he realizes it now. I've rarely ever turned some man away for his looks. I try to look at his heart and how worthy he is. There are a lot of them out there that probably won't find a mate because of the way women view men. It's the other side of the coin. Tragic in my opinion, truly tragic.

So hubs and I will celebrate of 53rd year of marriage in a couple of months. With our gorgeous kids, grandkids and great grand girls, we are a forever family and love each other very much. Families are forever and beyond and I love mine tremendously.
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I'm pretty sure this is a Charles Faudree room. As I've stated before I love his decorating.


A quaint French restaurant. I love its revolving door also. We don't see many of them anymore except in large cities, but I truly feel regal going through them.


And a quaint cottage decorated with a profusion of flowers at the sweetly curtained door. Upper windows thrown open for airing the room and curtains billowing in the sun.


A neat idea to separate a large room into smaller cozy areas. Easy and inexpensive.


Just a couple of flowery pomanders hanging on doors.


Sweet peonies.


A tea party for friends.


I love this laundry room. So many places to store things!


And another beautiful pink rose fading to pale yellow and green.


A delightful living or family room. When our great grandgirls were here in November, I threw a quilt over our new sofa and didn't fret one bit about cookies, candies, fruits or anything else getting the sofa soiled. What a thrill not to worry. They loved it and so did my granddaughter.


A bit of eye candy for you today.


A cake for a queen.


Lovin' the vintage tin cans in this kitchen. Cute!


Another idea for a garden using an old door. You can find these readily at garage sales or antique stores and not too costly at all.


And just some lovely bright flowery, checked and plaid pillows for a porch settee.
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Linking up with Pink Saturday.