So heres the shoes I bought and the ones I didn't...

After much consideration about this pair by Repetto which are sort of the shoes of my dreams.

Like if I had one fantasy shoe it would probably be that one because I think they speak French I know the website does.

And these...

Now.  Those boots which if you think about it aren't really even impractical (sort of) because I could wear them every day (kinda) being flat and all but if I had that kind of money I probably should buy a dishwasher so back to shoes...

 Rawr, right?

But then we are back to that whole buying a dishwasher thing although maybe I should just wash the dishes by hand and get the shoes...

...But in the end after much consideration related to how much time I spend in pajamas (and bare feet) and really there was that  bunion on my left foot and that Achilles tendon issue on the right (and it's associated brace and how stupid, I mean HOW STUPID,  would I look in 6 inch leopard pumps and an orthopedic brace) ...and all, so I got these...

Which are from the Privo line by Clarks and totally look cuter then they do here when shown after my crazy impractical dreams.

I probably should have left the fantasy shoes out of the post because it would have made my own shoes look way more adorable or at least not so much like Minnie Mouse feet (or mary janes the size of PT boats)  but if I can't pretend my life includes shoes that don't have to that fit around my bunions and Achilles Tendinitis braces -   I better just buy the Depends now and call it a day

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Weekend round-up, I got no clothes, @kmartdesign, Ginger, Tea Forte and giveaway hint

1.  Pandora - Pandora still needs service.

2.  Next month I'm going to Unilever's corporate kitchens and even though it actually involves leaving my house which is kind of an issue for me, okay a big, big issue.... On another level  I just can't wait.

Here's the thing - I get to learn kitchen stuff from people who really know kitchen stuff and aren't winging it (like me) and second I don't have to clean up after which is the best thing ever. 

That said, what in the world would they think if I showed up in flip flops and diaper pants topped with the  fluffy pink bathrobe?

No seriously. 

What would they think? 

I didn't know so I asked @kmartdesign and she told me.  And 'cause she's really nice and up on fashion she emailed me a very kind and thoughtful answer.  The short version: Do not go in the bathrobe. 

I've taken her advise but I'm no farther then  shoes....  that will go nicely with that bathrobe if push comes to shove.

3.  I'm really enjoying the reading area I set up last week.  I've wanted one right here for years and that whole declutter thing I did over the last month or so allowed for it. 

And Ginger...

is loving it too..

4.   I got a  Tea Forte  gift once and loved it,  so I get their emails.   This is on sale and I've wanted it forever.  It's just so practical and beautiful and shoot, I don't even know.

I think if I get this I will be stuck with the bathrobe because my $29  budget will be blown for clothes (that's the price of the pitcher and my budget for clothes) but I'm not sure I even care.

5.  Giveaway hint... and yes, I know it's a rediculously large round-up...  Are you ready for the hint?

It's coming this week...

And no, I am so not kidding.   It's a good one!  It's something I've always wanted do not have so I did what I always do - I wrote the company and said - Will you give my readers one?  No kidding.  At the end of the giveaway I still will not have one but one of you will...

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More I gave the kids the kitchen...

Last night my son and his friends finished the recipes they picked out.  The plan was to make all three on Thursday.... but I'm thinking after eating almost all the Ziti...

...And three-quarters of the enchiladas.

They were just, ya know - Full.

This was the number three. 

Yum. 

It's from this cookbook..

 

I'm giving one away HERE and if you want your kids to look like this...

or hmmm, maybe you don't want your kids to look like that but you do want them to want you that shake so enter the giveaway.

The rest of the recipes are really good.  And easy.  And the clean ups easy too.  Believe me because  that's the part I did.

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I gave teenagers my kitchen last night...

Last night my son and his friends cooked a few recipes from the family dish cookbook :

...and it was kind of great.  There was dinner for them, dinner for the family and leftovers.  I'm giving away that cookbook HERE.   I gave them the book and told them to make whatever they wanted.

  And they did.

Glad I quick got a piece because that baked ziti + 3 teens + 5 minutes =

It's a great recipe.  One pan, and you add the ziti raw - Easy.  Easy.  Easy.  Did I say easy?

They made the cheesy enchiladas after I went to bed...

I know they had fun...



and it looks good

and it's my lunch.

If you haven't checked out some of the other recipes I posted, take a look.  The pizza casserole is always a winner and you can check it out  here but there are tons of other family favorites if you look around.

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 This post was created in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in Unilever's Family Dish Program.  For more great ideas go to The Family Dish.

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How my day is going in number one and number two...

A 1 and a....  Spent the morning on the phone arguing with a lab because they are billing me the full retail price for reading a test, giving the results to the doctor - Normal, but saying they didn't do that one they did a different test entirely - according to them.

I know it makes zero sense to me too.  But that's about the size of it.  

I don't even know if I can follow myself here but... they actually did do something with a test but  it's not like I had what they charged me for, even I knew that.  And of course insurance knew that and spit the bill back out and said, Hey she didn't have any air put in her rear tire or antifreeze added to her thingamabob and there was certainly no swabbing of her poop deck - She would remember that. ( It was a pap smear. ) So get stuffed and here's your bill back.

Problem is the lab sends me a statement that said, OUR COLLECTION DEPARTMENT WANTS THE MONEY ANYWAY SO TOUGH TOENAILS.

And so I call the lab company and say, Didn't you notice you were doing a pap smear when you charged me for, Um what did you charge me for anyway?

NOT OUR PROBLEM, GIRLY. (I'm paraphrasing here...)

Well, I continued politely as the handle of my imaginary axe cracks in two,  if you weren't looking for pappy girly cells what were you looking for?

 We don't give patients results. So shut up and pay up, Girly. (Again,  paraphrasing)

I finally just called the Doctor's office who said they knew what the lab did and would fix it,  Actually they said, They did wh-AAAAAAT? No way. Get the front door outta here!  What  is wrong with them?  (Okay yes- Paraphrase)


And a 2... in a little while I'm surrendering my kitchen to teen-agers to cook what ever they want to. What do you think?

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New Jersey as art...

I've been driving around getting pictures of New Jersey lately.   Something about the suburban landscape  is ringing surreal to me...

I don't really know where I'm going with these (bigger images if you click)

Odd, huh?

But kinda cool I think...


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Dreaming of a new dining room on Retro Tuesday

So the doody rug is gone. 

But it will never be forgotten.

  I don't think I can ever eat in there again without thinking of it.  I waited way too long to get rid of that thing.  So when I was looking over magazines for today's Retro Tuesday I was drawn to dining room tables.  Beautiful new never doodied under dining room tables.

And I want them all.

Okay, some more then others.  Ever hear of Saarinen?

That dining set on the right was quintessential to the era.  You can find them now if you want to pay eight million five hundred feets of dollars.    The designer was Eero Saarinen a Finnish American Architect and Industrial Designer.  

From what I've noticed his designs (like his contemporary Charles Eames) didn't show up in their own ads but in ads for other people's products.  I think Saarinen's designs were classics and important, in their own time - Just having them in your ads elevated your product.  This ad was for Armstrong Flooring.

But honestly, I'd take any of the tables I looked at this morning.

I don't do a lot of black and white shots but I love this table.

Ah, Chromecraft!

 Now this, take a look...

One of the things I love about House & Garden is they put artwork in their spreads.  I've found the most amazing stuff around the perimeters of decor shots.  On another Retro Tuesday it was a Mark Rothko fest (here  there was a Saarinen table too)  

The dining room table above was part of a 'decorate your house on less then $5000 but the artwork on the wall besides being way cool was done by an important artist.

Dakota is a painting  by William Ronald a Canadian Artist, in 1962 (the year of the magazine) and near as I can Google, last sold for close to $100,000.

Now they were very clear the artwork wasn't included in the under $5000 whole house price but how cool to decorate with quality art.  All too often I see designers on HGTV saying real artwork doesn't matter if it goes with the design.

And I get that but how wonderful to have an investment on your wall instead three twigs hot glued to a canvas and spray painted to match the sofa.

Does that make sense?

Want to link up with me for Retro Tuesday?

Put a link in your blog, email me and I'll put your link under this post!

Vonlipi's Favorites 
Colorado Lady

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The ghost of doodys past

Ginger hasn't been feeling well the last five days or so.  She's not a high energy gal, never  has been but she's laying around more then usual. 

I chalked it up to her age of at or over sweet sixteen.

But it's more then that, her tummy's been a mess.  Usually her stomachs very predictable with the exception of the days the lawn guys come and times she's left alone longer then she thinks she ought.

She gets the same home cooked diet day in, day out and she's done great for years but lately the doody rug....

OHMYGOD, the doody rug.

Over the last few days I've been both horrified by and grateful for the doody rug.

But now, now it's got to go because there is no way I can ever eat with my feet touching that thing.  

For whatever reason Ginger's mix of food is no longer working for her in a hellacious exploding (and coincidentally) doody rug-colored way.  I tried what's worked in the past;  holding food for 24 hours and slowly reintroducing, but no. 

No. 

Hell to the no.

Finally she's improving with boiled ground lamb, rice, and farmer cheese.  I know that because I haven't experienced the squish of doody-rug colored piles between my toes in 24 hours, so Yay! for real. 

And she just pooped outside.  Actually made it OUTSIDE the house off the deck and onto THE LAWN. 

But the doody rug has got to go. It's leaving today. I don't know if that means she will pick another rug and I have rugs all over.  I don't even care, I will deal with that if it comes up.

But I can't live with the ghosts of doodys past that live in every fiber of that rug so....

RIP Doody rug.


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