Hello, beauty

Today is Wednesday, but I'm pretending it is Tuesday, so here is a shoesday post.  I can't say it enough, green shoes!  These beauties are over at Ped, best shoecandy around!  Hope your day is super.

Think about it...

Morning.  Good?  Sure, let's go with that.  What a week huh?  I mean it can only go up, right?  Crazy days.  7 crazy days.  And it can be easy to get into a funk, go doom and gloom and settle in and not want to crawl out.  But it isn't going to help.  Or change anything.  So I say, see the good instead.  I don't take credit for that, I must have heard it somewhere else and stored it away until today when I sat at my kitchen table and looked out at the flowers on my deck and saw it.  That little bit of good that made me remember all the other good.  I hope you are happy today and that you see the good in your day.  

Monday.

No cheese this week.  I haven't really felt like writing this week.  There are several times a day where all of a sudden I feel my throat closing up and my eyes get tight.  I go about things with a "business as usual" attitude, but it really isn't.  It can't be.  I was home on Monday because I live on the route and getting around is difficult.  I'm sure I've ranted about it over the years as complaining is something I do best on this blog.  So I stayed in working on projects in the apartment and listening to the crowds outside, trying not to get worked up about the people standing in my front "garden" and I use that word loosely, very loosely, because it is not looking like much these days.  My cell phone rang and it was Dave, telling me that he was OK.  I had to adjust my world for a moment to comprehend why he was telling me something that I always just assume to be true.  Then he told me that there were reports of explosions near the library and still not comprehending, because at that moment I was hearing massive sirens, I asked, "the Brookline library?!" No.  The Boston Public Library.  Right by his office.  What the what?  It didn't make sense.  I took to twitter to find out what was going on and when I was reading the reports of the explosions I was still hearing the runners and crowds cheering out my window.  It was surreal.  They had no idea.  They were just running.  About 2 miles from the finish line with no idea what had happened.  I felt like a small elephant had sat his rump down on my chest and was settling in. And just as I'd get used to the pressure I would read something new or see a new photo and I would feel him press all his weight down onto my heart.  My cell was buzzing with texts from people checking in, my phone was ringing.  And I replied each time that I was OK.  What can you really say in a text message?  I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest?  I think something would get lost in translation with a response like that.  I was OK in theory, and certainly in a physical sense.  But in other ways how can you really be OK when something like this happens?  It was a while before the news spread and the route shut down and it became eerily quiet for marathon Monday.  And I just sat there feeling that elephant and wondering why.  What is the point in planting a bomb?  What is that person trying to accomplish?  What change do they see as possible through such a violent act?  I look at problems with an analytical eye.  But the more I looked at this situation it just seemed stupid and I did not get it at all.  It made no sense.  None.  And I still don't really get it.  I don't think I ever will.  And the elephant?  Sometimes he seems to be losing weight.  But then he isn't.  

Think about it...

Good morning.  Happy Monday and all that.  Decent weekend?  I took last week off from the blog because the beginning of the week was spent with friends visiting from North Carolina and the remainder of the week was spent in the following ways: getting heartbroken over a mirror that got away, preparing to file taxes (this is my LEAST FAVORITE thing to do.  in the whole world.), worrying about my connector parts as I've been referring to them, specifically ankles, knees, and elbows as they are constantly bothering me now and I am so obsessed with losing the few pounds I've gained in the last year that I am breaking out in a sweat just thinking about having to miss workouts, being reunited with same friends for one more visit before they headed home, actually filing said dreaded taxes, and finding another mirror I like just as much as the one that got away and cost less than half the price of the first one.  So, time flew.  But I was the pilot.  Other than the taxes, the pain, and the panic, I had a good week.  And as painful as preparing for the taxes was (BTW, the pain is my own fault.  Instead of being super organized and doing all my reconciliations on a monthly basis, I wait until the last minute.  The very last minute and then stress about the days of work I have to do.), I was super excited to finish them.  Done and Done!  Oh, and I am attempting to get out of my own way for next year.  Yep, I sat down and reconciled the first three months of this year.  So I am already ahead!  Might not be any closer on the other stuff, but baby steps, right?  Oh, and have any of you watched the show Extreme Couponing?!  Somehow I ended up watching it on Netflix the other night while I was working on other stuff and I was deeply disturbed.  And confused.  So someone explain this to me.  Are these people using all this crap they are storing in their garages and under their kids beds, or are they just stock piling it like hoarders?  Do they trade it or sell it to make a profit?  I don't understand.  I mean I get it when they have a bunch of kids.  But even with a lot of kids, what the H-E-doublehockeysticks are they going to do with 60 bottles of cheap mustard?!  Unless they are selling hot dogs out of their tailgate at the world's longest yard sale I don't see that mustard being anything more than a dust collector.  And they kept talking about how much money they saved.  But if they aren't using this stuff did they really save any money?  And the amount of time that they were spending on organizing coupons and then shopping was pretty crazy.  OK, really REALLY crazy.  So, I am asking you to please educate me because I just didn't get it and I'm sure it is because I was missing something.  I mean there is a whole TV series devoted to this so it must be something worth learning about.  Right? Oh, and run Boston Marathoners, run!

Cheesy Thursday - we've got tonight

who needs tomorrow?  I sure do!  This is pure cheese.  Man, looking at Kenny don't you feel immediately grateful that this "look" is long gone?  And poor Sheena apparently didn't get the memo on the dress code for the duet.  He is wearing a three-piece suit that appears to be either high-quality polyester or silk, and she is wearing what looks like it was trying to be a leather suit.  Yikes.   And is he like 7 feet tall or is she a dwarf?  He does know how to twirl a microphone cord, huh?  Hope you enjoy the cheese!

Before and After - a little mcm chair

Morning.  How goes it?  I've been meaning to post photos of my latest DIY before and after, a little chair I bought in the U.P. last summer for a whopping $3.00.  You read that right, only three dollars!  And since my in-laws are pretty spectacular and willing to drive it out at Thanksgiving there were no shipping fees involved (although it did arrive with a paint stain that I'm pretty sure was new. wink.).

Before.  Here it is.  It might be hard to see from this angle, but the wood veneer was in pretty bad shape with a good deal of peeling and chipping.  And there was a really sticky tape on it that had to be scraped off.

Before - sanded.  I sanded off the paint stain, ahem.  And then got the tape residue off, and tried to get it as smooth as possible.

Before - primed.  One coat of primer and it was ready for paint.  (oh, you'll notice that I painted the metal rivets on the chair back.  I thought about not painting them but ultimately decided they would be too distracting on the painted back.  it was also easier to paint them then to try to protect them.  and I decided I could always scrape the paint off later if I changed my mind.  but I don't think I will.)

After.  Here she is in her new yellow paint (with the blue painters tape still in place).  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

After.  And now in situ.  I couldn't decide whether to get a knit pillow or more of a linen pillow and then I found both in one at enhabiten.  I love this little pillow.  (I should have unplugged those things before taking the photo.  cords and wires ruin everything!)

That polka dot throw is wool and so cozy for watching TV on the couch.  I think the chair looks good in front of the file cabinets.  They are pretty cheap cabinets from Target that I stacked.  I changed the handles to make them look vintage and a bit more polished.  So there you have it.  A little mcm chair (made in Indiana, probably out of a school) all dolled up.  Happy Wednesday!

Shoesday.

I have a love - hate relationship with clogs.  I love them because they are so cool looking.  I hate them because a fall in a pair of these is going to hurt!  If I got a pair of these there would be at least one twisted ankle in my future.  Guaranteed.  I don't know what my problem is, but I tend to "fall off my shoes" a lot when I walk.  I don't take delicate and graceful steps.  Nope.  Not me.  I have more of a pounding the pavement style walk.  But these sure are nice to look at, no?  Hope your week is already wonderful.   (click to link to shoes)

think about it...

Good morning.  How was your weekend?  I hope it was fantastic.  I created the image up there as a reminder to myself that when things are frustrating and it feels like no real progress is being made to just keep going.  Maybe we can all use that reminder every once in a while.  When there is a task ahead that is too daunting or a big project that is taking up all of our time, just keep going.  You'll get it done.  Hey, that is actually great for anyone taking a bar exam.  It is the WORST!  And even though you get sick of studying for 7-10 hours a day, just keep going.  So there you have it.  

weekend.

Oh, Friday, it is so lovely to see you!  I've been waiting for you since Monday morning.  So good to see you again.  Oh, do I appear to be gushing?  Well, you've got me.  Some weeks you just really need two days away from the ball and chain.  No, not Dave, I mean work.  And there is a holiday on Sunday and it is a certain holiday that really gets me nostalgic.  And I usually spend the day in some sort of funk thinking back on all those Easters with my grandparents and then that gets me thinking about how my grandma is doing now and it is really sad.  But this year I am anticipating the troubles before they occur and I am going to plan something to take the funk away.   And I need to clean up the deck from winter.  I think it is probably still too early to plant anything, but I could at least remove the dead plants from last year and clean up the broken pot.  Oh!  We had two large planters with seedum in them and guess what?  They are sprouting!  I had no idea they would winter over out on the deck in uncovered containers, but lo and behold, there are shoots that seem to get bigger by the day.

Here are some links to ooh and aah over.  At least I did.  Hope you have a great weekend.

pretty ring that I could get lost in.

awesome rug that I think would look great in my bathroom.  if I were rich.

cutest little night light ever.

most adorable fox pillow ever.  in a kids room or a cabin or anywhere.  so cute!

moody feather photo iphone case.  totally rad.

Cheesy Thursday - Hungry Eyes

You know what nobody does?  Sing this song seriously.  You thought I was going to say, "put Baby in a corner," didn't you?  But I didn't.  I didn't need to.  I knew you'd fill in the rest.  This is one of those movies that I liked way too much as a kid.  And now when I think about it I think, how was I even allowed to see this movie?!  It is not exactly appropriate for kids.  But this is currently my big struggle.  Because my almost 13 year old nephew follows me on Instagram and I follow him back and sometimes I see what he is posting (memes, not his own photos) and I freak out because they are so not appropriate!  And I think this is insane, where are his parents, and then I think about the totally stupid stuff I did at that age and it makes sense and I didn't turn out THAT bad, but I still get real panicky.  And I realize that if I was ever a parent I would be the absolute worst overprotective spying total killjoy parent ever.  But luckily other than a cat or dog, no one has to deal with that possibility.  Trust me, it is best for all parties involved.  So anyway, super cheesy song, super cheesy movie, but both are pure entertainment.  Happy Thursday!

Perspective

Hi-ho.  How goes it this week?  Something you might not know about me, I have a hard time falling asleep.  And because of that I often drag my feet about going to bed because I know I am just going to lay there and wait to fall asleep.  And this has been a thing for years.  I can remember staying up all night a lot.  Even as a child.  So I've just always assumed that I don't need that much sleep.  Well, that seems to be changing.  Lately I feel absolutely exhausted.  Physically exhausted.  Like my eyes hurt to be open, exhausted.  It is all catching up with me.  Every single part of growing up (notice how I didn't say "aging?"  Yeah, when you are just under 40, people who are over 40 get really pissed when you say "aging," like they have some kind of patent on the whole thing.  Whatevs.) is hitting me.  The physical changes.  As in, I work out more than average, and I stopped eating candy, and I am not a soda drinker or anything and despite all that effort, I've still managed to gain a couple pounds and I feel like my hips are spreading out and becoming wider by the day.  And the little bit that I have in the chest area seems to want to head south for the winter.  (I've convinced myself that if I sleep in a pullover wireless bra this will combat their south-heading desires.  Not sure I am correct, but mind over matter!!)  So I guess what I am saying is that it is really easy to focus on this stuff, all the changes that are just a part of life.  But it takes perspective to not get too crazy.  Because even if my hips are spreading wider by the hour (which I realize is not actually possible, or at least the odds of probability are against it.  Deductive reasoning, I learned that on Bones), and I need to get more sleep, it really isn't that bad.  I mean, at least I can make myself laugh abut it (and hopefully you too).  And also, I can watch documentaries about children in Africa that need heart surgery, or people in NYC that survive by redeeming cans and realize that I should not complain.  About anything!  But it is healthy to complain a little bit.  As long as you can put it in perspective.  Hope you are having a good week.  I'm having dinner with a friend I haven't seen in months because she is the busiest person I know and I am so excited to finally catch up with her.  And also, when I think about how many hours she works and think about how tired I am, I can't even fathom how she does it!  Seriously, she amazes me.  Hope you have a healthy perspective and some good times today.

Shoesday

Source: anthropologie.com viaCindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

These are sure to put some spring in your step!  I love the colorful flowers and the yellow stitching sort of throws me over the edge.  Total cuteness!  Hope your Tuesday is super.  I am off to a 7 AM meeting.  I feel like a zombie and I probably look like one too.  7 AM!!

Cheesy Thursday - One More Night

Cheesy song, check.  Cheesy TV show video montage, check.  Have you heard any rumors about whether or not Hart of Dixie is going to be renewed for Season 3?  I really hope it does because I love this show!  Number 1 guilty pleasure.  Hope your Thursday is fun!

Sole Mates

Sole Mates weekend by prettyneatdesigns featuring a cashmere cardigan

A weekend look.  Nothing better than jeans and a stripey sweater with a sweet pair of kicks on the weekend.  Hope your Wednesday is super!

Shoesday

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

Happy Shoesday!  These sandals are super cute.  And I do love a cute flat sandal.  However, last night we got about 6 inches of snow dumped on us.  Oh, and today it will be raining most of the day.  So even though it is nearly the end of March there is no sign of spring!  Except that it is lighter a little later each day.  And it makes such a difference!  How is your week going so far?  So far so good over here. We dropped off our kitchen chairs to be sandblasted and powder coated and I am excited to see them all spiffed up, but for now it means that we have to eat like we're bellying up to a bar.  We should get the chairs back in a couple weeks and I'll post before and after photos.  Do you have any book recommendations?  I could really use a good book to sink into.  

Monday

Happy Monday!  Instead of a good quote to think about I'm going all out entertainment.  Funny cat videos.  Because you will laugh out loud.  And how better to start a week than by laughing out loud?!  

Cheesy Thursday - Journey

Morning.  We received a really neat gift, a membership to the Coolidge Corner Theatre.  It has been fantastic!  We can see movies on Sundays after 6 for FREE.  For free!  And there are monthly events that are free for members, like Science on Screen, which is a nerd's paradise - movie and a lecture.  The number of pocket protectors in the theatre is staggering.  (I am kidding, of course.)  In January we saw Rushmore and heard a lecture about adolescent development.  This month we are seeing This is Spinal Tap.  And the lecture is on the science of sound and hearing.  Yes, I know, I put the "erd" in "nerd."  So anyway, with this membership and all its perks we are seeing more movies and making Sunday night a regular date at the movies.  It is a nice way to end the weekend and transition back to the daily grind.  So last Sunday we saw Don't Stop Believin' Everyman's Journey, about the band's search for a new lead singer.  It was really good.  It helped that I am a fan of the music.  And it brought back memories from high school.  I can't remember if it was Junior or Senior Prom (and I don't know why that seemed to require capitals, but it did.) we had to pick a song, and Open Arms was one of the choices.  Now, I distinctly recall my homeroom teacher warning us that if we chose that song, the lyrics would not be printed in the keepsake prom booklet thingy because, well because, they hint at people being in bed together and this was a Catholic school.  Guess what song we picked?  Yep, the controversial one.  I will have to dig around in the storage space to see if I can find it, but I am pretty sure that the prom booklet did end up with the lyrics printed in it.  So anyway, go to the movies, sing cheesy songs, remember your prom and have a great Thursday!



I am posting the same song sung by Arnel Pineda, the new lead singer so you can hear why he was chosen.  It is a slower version, but you can hear it in his voice. 

Sole Mates - big black boots and bright tights

Sole Mates - weekend dress and boots by prettyneatdesigns featuring a 10 corso como

Sole Mates.  This week I am obsessed with tall boots.  I scored a super awesome pair on ebay that arrived the other day and I have found true boot love.  If you follow me on Instagram (prettyneatdesigns) this is not news because I posted a photo of them yesterday.  And declared my love for them.  So I put together this outfit based on what I plan to wear with my new tall boots: casual dress, bright tights, and a graphic scarf.  Pretty good look if you ask me.  Hope your week is rad.

Think about it...

Source: positivelifethought.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Good morning!  It has been a while.  What have you been up to?  Lots of stuff over here but not much of it bears repeating.  I like that quote up there.  Also, Deepak Chopra and Oprah are having a 21 day meditation challenge and it starts today.  You can sign up for free.  I am doing it, how about you?  Hope your Monday is awesome.  

break

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Rudy on Pinterest

Permission to take the rest of the month off?  Oh yeah, I'm my own boss here, so permission granted.  I can't find much good in this month and I've complained enough already.  I fear it will only get worse as the month wears on (and yes, I know it is only a couple of days), so I am going to sit it out for the rest of the month.  Just so you don't think I'm not trying, I have been.   But it is sort of like "all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again."  There is just no fix.  (But if I needed fixing, especially of the fell off a wall type, I would not look to a horse for help.  just sayin')    I have great family, friends, and colleagues and I've been doing my fives and tens, sprucing up the apartment with little flower arrangements, doing my workouts, even 10 minute ones when I don't have any more time, writing down goals, spending time listening to music and reading, but it isn't working.  I still manage to find something negative about just about every interaction every day.  I'm going on long voyages in my mind where I dissect everything and keep coming to the same conclusion negative negative negative.  So, until I manage to swim out of my own head, I'll take a break from this space for a while.  I saw two interesting documentaries (Oscar nominated shorts) and both were good.  And both made me realize that putting it in perspective, I don't really have anything to complain about.  And yet, I do.  And I can't stop.  And who the hell wants to read someone's complaints?  No one, that's who.  So take a break for a while.  Read other blogs, lose yourself in mindless and wildly entertaining TV shows like Hart of Dixie and New Girl and Bones.  And listen to music that may or may not be cheesy.  And of course, always stop to admire the shoes.  The shoes are our real friends afterall.  

Cheesy Thursday - Valentine's edition

Elvis.  Vlaentine's Day.  Cheese.  That's it.  

Wednesday wishes (a list in pins)

Hi-ho.  Wednesday morning.  I'm going to post a sort of wish list, but in pins.  These are things I've been digging on Pinterest lately.

Source: rstyle.me via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

This rug.  I love it.  I think it would look pretty amazing as a bathmat.

Source: thesmallthingsblog.com via TeenAngster on Pinterest

This hair.  Sometimes I really wish I had long princess hair so I could twist it up in neat little dos like this one.  (do you remember the woman's hair in Legends of the Fall?  That was the most amazing hair!)

Source: miablanchekeramik.tictail.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

These sweet little dishes.  Because, come on, how cute are these?!  Perfect for little fruit cups or a scoop of sorbet, or pretty much anything.  (There are white cups on the website that are amazing too.)  I need to go to Scandinavia just to buy dishes.  All the good ones come from there.

Source: garitto.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

Here is another.  See what I mean?  All the good dishes are from over there!

Source: fab.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

A Holga filter that goes right on your iphone, how neat is that?!  So much fun!

Source: etsy.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

This tank top.  It is perfect.  So perfect.  (and not a bad price, either, which makes it even more perfect.)

Source: etsy.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

Ursa Major necklace.  Because it is subtle and interesting and reminds me of the first time I saw the big dipper in the sky over my grandmother's backyard.  I felt like the smartest person in the world seeing how those stars fit together to form a pot with a crooked handle.  (PS, I think there needs to be a telescope up at the cabin, but my worry is how we can see anything without being eaten alive by bugs.)

So that's it.  A list in pins.  Hope you make the best of your day.  I started mine off by pouring granola into my coffee instead of over my yogurt.  I blame it on February. 

Shoesday

Source: anthropologie.com via Cindy - Pretty Neat Designs on Pinterest

No chance of wearing these in Boston any time soon.  But they sure are pretty to look at, aren't they.  I just finished watching Sunday's episode of Downton Abbey, so in my head I wrote that with a bit of an English accent.  You can read it however you like.  Hope your week isn't too bad.  You know, it being February and all.  (PS, as even more evidence of February's horrors, yesterday morning I went to take the cap off my hair cream and the entire container came apart, shooting the stuff all over the shower curtain, the floor, the rug, and the sink.  Yes, it was fun to clean up.  And then there was the whole scam we were victim of.  All of it.  Crap.  The entire month really should just be skipped over.)

Weekend (blizzard edition)

What do "February" and "ugly shoes" have in common?  I hate them both.  I think I have PTSD from childhood.  Because of February.  I would like to lobby that we go from January 31 to March 1.  Just cut the whole darn month right out of the calendar.  The blizzard we got on Friday into Saturday?  Just one more piece of evidence that the month is total crap.  Here are some photos of the snow.

It started off pretty slow, with just a pretty dusting.

But it was gaining force and accumulating.

Next morning there was quite a bit of snow piled up.  (I didn't get a good photo of it, but there was at least 2.5 feet of snow on the roof of our car.)  When we shoveled out the parking area we measured over 30 inches, but I think some of that had to be from drifting.  It was a lot of work to clean up from the storm, but we didn't lose our power and I am so grateful for that.  I went to bed on Friday night worried that we were going to lose power and panicking over how I was going to get my coffee in the morning.  I know, this is a reason to get a french press.  But how do you grind the beans, smartypants?  With a hammer?  I guess that could work.  I should pre-grind some coffee and store it in the freezer for emergencies.  Yes, that is all the storm preparedness I need.  (note on that photo, that is the light at 6:30 AM.  Why was I up at 6:30 on a Saturday? Because Sassy had been screaming for a half hour because apparently she doesn't know the difference between weekdays and weekends.  Oh yeah, she is feeling MUCH better these days.)

This one, yeah, she was not phased by the storm in the least.   Hope you had a good weekend.  Despite it being February and all. 

Cheesy Thursday - cheese situation

Morning.  Two types of cheese today.  First, there is this song.  The song is titled "Hey, Soul Sister" already sounding pretty cheesy.  But wait, theres more!  Including a few sparkling nuggets of cheese in the form of these lyrics, "a game show love connection."  That one starts off sort of cheesy, but maybe a freebie.  However, then they really amp up the cheese factor with this one "my heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest."  Hmm.  Let's see, raise your hand if you would like to receive a Valentine that said something about an untrimmed chest.  I am going to safely assume that I am not the only one who has a gag reflex to those words.  And this last one just makes me laugh, "the way you can cut a rug, watching you is the only drug I need. So gangsta, I'm so thug."  Clearly.  Because what thug doesn't use the phrase "cut a rug?"  And recognize Mr. Mister on the radio the stereo.  Total cheese.

Now for the second cheese situation.  I was looking for a ten minute abs video to do the other day and I came across "The Situation - Insane Abs" on hulu.com.  I have never seen Jersey Shore but I hear it was quite popular.  As captivating as watching car crashes and train wrecks.  I love the Bones episode (maggots in the meathead) where they sort of spoof Jersey Shore and Bones is so clueless about popular culture that she thought she had watched a documentary about their "tribe."  That episode was awesome!  So anyway, I did the workout, which wasn't too bad, but noticed that he said the word "situation" way too many times.  I counted twenty-four in ten minutes and that does not include "situated" which was also frequently used.  Anyway, the workout was about as cheesy as the song up there, so double dose of cheese today.