What does it mean to have it all?? I don't need a big house or a Mozzerati to be happy. To me having it all would mean having Martha Stewart closets.... AHHH! I would love to hire a housekeeper or an organizer to do this, but you know it's really the kind of thing that no one else can do for you.
Wouldn't it feel good to have a place for everything and everything in it's place? Wouldn't it be lovely if I hadn't had to look six places for a stapler this morning while I was trying to work on the taxes?? Not having to look for the stapler would mean that my idea of "having it all" would require the complicit cooperation of little c who absconds with my stuff... sorry mom!
I am a piler. I have piles of really important crap that no one but me is going to care about. I told C last night. I have all this stuff.. letters, books, photos, papers that make up my existence on the planet, but there is already so much of it that when I die the girls are going to hire the biggest dumpster and chuck it all as fast as they can.
I remember when we moved my grandparents into a retirement home. I was too young and dumb to think about it and just assumed that I was being so helpful to show up and help. My grandpa was in a grumpy mood that day... now that I think of it, how could he not have been? He sat there in an armchair while his grandchildren went through his stuff and threw away all the things, the gathered accouterments of the life he had lived as a strong and vital independent man. And, even though he retired to a better ordered situation.. it was a change and I wonder what must have been going through his mind that day. Someday I may know.
I had an old, very old, tape player in my hand and I recall asking my grandfather if he would like me to throw it out or if he would like me to donate it to good will. He snapped at me, the only time he ever snapped at me, and said that he wanted me to give it to one of the neighbors. I looked at that old dusty player and thought that he was losing it a little, but now I don't. Now I think that he wanted to give his things away to someone who would appreciate them and remember him.
But, when all is said and done.. no one wants our stuff, our treasures maybe... but not our stuff, so I might as well chuck my junk now rather than have poor c and l looking through it for years and years. If I don't do something soon, I will have to buy a big house and then I'll have to move all this crap.
I want my daughters to remember me for all the fun we had together. I had some fun times at my grandpas house... like all the times grandpa made us homemade ice cream and root beer. I loved the times that I helped bring in the harvest of his beautiful garden and helped grandma cut the corn off the cob and freeze it for storage. I loved seeing him in his cowboy hat.. I think my dad gave it to him.. it was just like the one Pres. Hinckley wore in the Pioneer Day parade. I remember a feeling of complete freedom in his big back yard guarded in front with a big hedge of greenery with orange berries. Now, I think of him and grandma too... every time I pass a pyracantha, but I don't wish that I still had his old dusty tape player.
Spring is HERE! 
Oh how I adore Albert Brooks.. his dry humor kills me every time. This film about a man who gets hit by a bus and goes to Judgment City where in a court like setting he is supposed to prove that he has learned what he came to learn and is reading to move on. 
When I was in elementary school, I was captivated by horses. I loved all the horse books and then this movie came out.. one of the best ever films in my opinion. It expanded my imagination and made me dream that like Alec, I would have my very own Black Stallion to keep in the back yard. I rented this the other day to show to little c. She liked it, but it was not her thing like it was mine sadly... it's a slow moving film, not like the ones kids see nowadays. The beauty of the filming... those breathtaking silent scenes where the boy and the horse become friends on the island and learn to survive together... and then when Alec learns to ride his magic horse... down the beach with arms raised he is flying. It's so beautiful to watch it puts a lump in my throat.
This Giveaway is for a bear box and all the little things here and a few surprises all wrapped up cute.
You know that spring has arrived when the drab finally leaves the stores... well almost always. Every once in awhile there is a sad year where spring is beige and taupe... not my favorite. This year has been looking good. I love these cute twirly tulle skirts from Gap Kids.. one of my favorite things I've seen so far.. and all the eyelet. Eyelet is actually a classic and never goes out in my opinion, but it makes a big comeback every couple years or so and this is one. The recession is looking up.. afterall who's going to spend money on the same old stuff, but something pretty and colorful is worth pulling out the wallet for. :)
In these troubled times.. it's wonderful to come accross someone with a sense of whimsy.. this put a smile on my face!
This is such a fun book for kids. It's an on this day in history sort of book. They can look up their birthday and see what happened in American History that day and hopefully then learn more about it. I love this kind of thing.. hooray for Mr. Bennett!
I'm not keeping bar around here, but it gets messy enough that you'd think I was. I have been using this on my porcelain kitchen sink for awhile and been pleased with the results. Today I used it to clean the hard water off the chrome in the bathroom.. amazing. I wish that I had read the label and tried it sooner.
This is one of my favorite boxes and after some absence, there are 2 mediums (and I think there are also 2 large ones) back in
Last year we found that we waited too long to get our Land's End suit and didn't get the one we wanted... so this year we were determined to pick out little c's suit early, but Land's End did have our favorite this year.. We were delighted to see these pretty bright colors over at L.L. Bean. I think suit separates are one of the greatest things for kids and this little swim top will completely avoid the terrible shoulder burns poor c gets almost every time we swim outside. I don't care what the label says.. sunscreen must wash off.
This box will be part of a giveaway tomorrow.. 
Fairy Cakes...
...& Flowers
... & more Flowers
... & more Flowers
... even hanging from the light fixtures... 
What a lovely book! I was so excited for this new book of Alexandra's to come out. It was very timely for me and guess what ... I'm mentioned in the book! I was so excited to recognize me in there. I feel immortal! 
I love Etsy. You can often find a seller who produces the most beautiful work and has the most original products. I've decided that every once in a while I need to feature a seller that I find who does just that truly impeccable, incredible and original work here on the blog. Cassandra Norton is just such a person. Her Fussy Couture shop is fun and original. I have purchased quite a few of her items and they are made with perfect attention to detail and come in a darling package. Neiman Marcus would be lucky to carry these items. Visit Fussy Couture HERE...
If you know me at all, you know I'm a big fan of this guy! I am hoping he will have as positive an influence on l as he was for c. I have already ordered up a few more DVDs for our collection, but this will always be my favorite I think... Two years ago I wrote the following, which I still firmly believe...
I love this production of Camelot. Richard Harris plays a near perfect Arthur I think. Anyway, I rented this so that little c could see it the other day. It's been a long time since I'd seen it and although I remembered the story well, I had forgotten how sad this is too see. Anyway, it is the perfect morality play and illustrates well how the breakdown of the family equals the destruction of society. It made for an interesting discussion with c... she's a smarty.
