i’m apparently rudolph.

I’m not kidding. My nose is seriously red and shiny.  And it hurts.  WTF?  I’m 35 … I thought I gave up pimples long ago.

I tried some of this stuff tonight.  A sample from a spa visit in Miami.  Let’s hope it does the trick and I can show my face at work tomorrow.  It felt kind of tingly and it smelled nice.  And I looked like a smurf for about 30 minutes so that is always fun.  Now, my face feels baby soft, but my nose still hurts.  I guess we’ll see the results tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.

I have a feeling I am going to be headed strait to Sephora after work to stock back up on my old standbys.  Lately, RECESSION = CVS.  Good for the change purse.  Not so good for the skin.   Sadly, I think vanity is going to win out on this one and I’ll be a little more poor by the end of the day tomorrow.  Will keep you posted my dears. I know your life is hanging in the balance on this one…

this is pretty much perfect.

What I would give for a hallway like this.  Delish.

Snagged from Desire to Inspire.  These ladies totally have it going on.  They find all the good stuff.

weekly libra.

What, precisely, is it that you cannot afford? OK. I know, it’s a silly question. But if we remove a few items from that very long list (such as the luxury yacht – or the chain of five star hotels) what are we left with? Or rather, what are you left without? There are many things you wouldn’t mind owning or having – but there are only one or two things that you truly, sorely need. If you don’t yet know that you can create some way to bring these items or facilities into your world, you’ll soon make that discovery. Life is not exactly easy at the moment, but all that’s required for your comfort is already making itself available.

To be ‘human’ takes patience, yet it also requires spontaneity. It takes humility, yet it also demands a sense of dignity. It takes faith, yet it also calls for healthy scepticism. How are any of us supposed to get the balance right? When does a preference become a prejudice? Where does the desire to set a high standard become unrealistic idealism? What delineates the urge to care and share from the compunction to live the life of a martyr? These are all the questions that you need to address. You won’t come up with definitive answers this week. But you will reach clearer and much more helpful understanding.

From Jonathan Cainer.

here’s what’s going on.

Weekend Sum-up:

Perfect day on Friday.  Got up early and got a lot accomplished.  Relaxing.  Party on Erin’s roof.  Good times.

Perfectly lazy 4th.  Lounging, geeking, bbq eating, True Blood watching, fireworks in the distance. Good times.

Last day of a 3 day weekend.  Perfect.  Good coffee, a new music solution for the old kathaus.  So far, so perfect.

Also on my mind:

Puppies.  I have been searching for the right breeder for Cavaliers.  I think it’s time. After my trip to PDX, I’m thinking.  The trouble is finding the right breeder with puppies.  I know, wait your patience, but damn.  When I’m ready, I’m ready.

Pillows.  Now thinking of this for the sofa. I know, why am I obsessing over this, but for real, y’all.  What do you think?

Weather.  Why is it constantly overcast and cool.  It’s freaking July. Gah.

Also, trying to figure out why I feel so exhausted. Maybe this is what really being relaxed feels like. hmmmm.

celebrate with buffy hair.

Hope everyone has a great 4th of July!  Peace.

it was friday on tuesday.

What’s going on this week?  Well, to start, it’s been really slow.  It’s one of those holiday weeks where it’s been so quiet, it’s hard to get motivated.  The good thing is that at work, I’ve had a lot to do, so I’ve been busy.  It has felt like it should be Friday ALL WEEK though.  In fact, yesterday, I took my birth control in the morning, as usual, but had a minor freak out that I had forgotten 4 days worth.  Seriously.  I really thought it was Friday and was reaching for a triple dose of the Lex to ease the panic. Fortunately, that didn’t last long and I realized in short order that it’s not a big deal.   I’ve  just lost my mind.  Apparently.

This afternoon, I’m talking to a co-worker and she says see you in the morning, and I’m all, what?  Seriously, thought it was Friday.   Again with the Friday.

SOOOOOO, not sure what’s going on.  I must need a break.  Which is coming soon.  Three days of bliss.  Out of the office. Outside in the sun.  Good friends.  A party or two.  Happy 4th and all that.

Will be back soon to let you know how it all goes, the fun relaxation and all.  Until then my dears …

Artwork by North Carolina artist, Laura Poss.  Funny, it reminded me of home immediately.

yes, i cook, y’all.

Well, sort of.  I don’t know if you would call this cooking, per se, but a variation of this deliciousness is going to be made soon.  I LOVE summer desserts with berries. You can make it too. It’s easy.  See:

Ingredients:

• Angel Food cake, pre-made, and torn into bite size pieces
• 2 quarts of strawberries
• 8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
• 12 oz. of whipped cream
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of milk

Preparation:

This is all very simple.  Cut up the strawberries, toss with a dash of sugar and let them sit for a while.  Next make the creamy mixture.  First combine the softened cream cheese with the sugar.  Next add the milk and then fold in the whipped cream.  Once it’s all perfectly creamy, stir in chunks of angel food cake and coat them completely.

Next is even easier.  Spread creamy cake in a 9 x 13 dish, top with strawberries, and enjoy.  If you are a rebel, you can use a trifle dish or even different berries.

Also, if you are one of those super annoying people with high metabolisms and negative body fat, you can ignore this, but when we made this over Memorial Day, all of the dairy products were fat free.  And it was great!

Of course, I would advise you to be careful.  You may want to eat this for every meal until it’s gone, just as I did the last time I had it.  Actually, a repeat may be had this weekend.  Bonus, though, was that I returned from vacation a few pounds lighter. Something to say for this dessert?  I think yes.  I think seconds and thirds.

weekly libra.

Wit and ingenuity you have in abundance. You are the sharpest tool in the box. The cleverest cookie in the jar. But what’s needed, this week, is a more subtle form of smartness. You’ve got to get yourself around a restriction that makes you mad. Really, you want to start from scratch and create something brilliantly different. You are, though, obliged to work within an existing framework which offers little by way of opportunity for creative variation. That’s your challenge. Can you rise to it? Accept the limitation. Then look for the best way to make the most of what you can’t change. You’ll yet be glad you had a problem!

From Jonathan Cainer.

and for the sofa.

Both from CB2.  They seem a little on the boring side, but I think they are a good balance to the rest of the room.  Any thoughts, vehemently for or against? Speak up, especially those of you who’ve been in the space.

The white is a little bigger … and the blue grid pillow is on sale for $9.95.  Total bargain.

pillows!

I have been searching for pillows for a while now.  A few for the sofa and one for the bedroom.  I think I’ve finally found the fabric for a cushion in the bedroom.  Schumacher’s Chiang Mai Dragon.  It’s been around for a while, but I had totally forgotten about it until I saw it in Kristen Bell’s house profiled in a recent In Style.

Now I just need to figure out where I can get some since I’m not “to the trade”.