Thinking about it....

One of the blog hops from this past week asked the question "Have you started looking at swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year?"

That triggered a whole series of thoughts for me.

First off, we haven't made it to the beach the last two years. But we will be going later this summer so I have started my planning. I have a new beach bag from Thirty-One Gifts. I even have a purse and soft wallet in the same pattern. I'll be soooo co-ordinated. I have two bathing suits that are in really good condition. They are both over 5 years old, but don't look it. But I KNOW they are older so it makes me want a new one.

I'm just not sure what I want. I don't want something where my top or bottom hangs halfway out, but I don't want to cover myself from head to toe. There has to be a happy medium. I have a yearly argument with hubby who can't understand why I quit wearing a bikini. (Those of you who KNOW what I look like can quit laughing so hysterically). Well, duh, sweetheart. Can we say "flab...or spare tire...or thunder thighs". I guess I should be honored that in his mind I would still look good in one. Of course, he remembers me in a bikini at 25 weighing all of 98 pounds. BIG DIFFERENCE now. I would try one on to show him, but I don't want to scar the poor man for life.

(Disclaimer: NONE of the suits I am about to show are me wearing them. I would not subject my sweet readers to such horror.)

I normally prefer a standard suit with a shirred front because that goes a long way in hiding a little extra tummy.  And I love bold Hawaiian print because it always is more kind to a less than perfect body. But this year, I'm thinking of trying a new style. I like how the one below has a little flap like area that covers the very tops of thighs.

I also like the idea of what they call a swim dress, but just not sure that is for me.

About 10 years and 40 pounds ago, I tried a tankini. Did I like it? Not so much. I was constantly trying to adjust it so no belly showed. That is an experience I will never repeat again.

I contemplated for a little while about the shortini. But decided I would feel like I had on regular clothes and would henceforth be miserable sitting out in the sun. So no shortinis for me.

My poor body is one of those that doesn't fit a particular mold. I'm not well endowed on top by any means but I sure have my fair share following along behind me. I weigh too much too look good in "slinky" but I don't weigh enough to be in a plus size. It's frustrating finding the happy medium.  I think I see some dieting and exercise in my future if I am going to find a good fit for a bathing suit. I scoured the internet to find one I loved so I could post it on the fridge for inspiration. So far, I've not been inspired. I'll have to hold off till spring and see what new items come into the stores.

Frivolous Friday

It's Frivolous Friday. A time Webster describes as "Not having any serious purpose or value".

Well, I'm sure you will agree that today's post has no purpose. There is not really any great value in it. I just found some things I liked and thought today would be a good day to share them with you. I want my  daughter to make me some of these necklaces and bracelets for spring and some of the barefoot sandals for the beach this year....(she just doesn't know it yet.) Here are some of the things I like...

I am still aggravated with our weather. Rain, storms, warm, cold, finally a little snow last night. I was going to do some January decorating with snowmen around the house but the sunny weather kept putting it out of the mood so I didn't go buy anything. We are almost half way into the month so I'm not going to now. But here were some things I was thinking about getting. Some look pretty easy to make so I'm going to put them on my craft "to do" list for this year so I'll have them next year.

Every year, I want to craft something I can change for each month. This year, I think I will make some little plastic canvas birdhouses. Here is one I made for my beach room. But I want to make one for each season to put in my office. I love sitting them in the little beaded wreaths.


When I make these birdhouses, I like the bird house "hole" to be some type of button. So I found some for each month that go with the theme of the month. I have seen tons of them I like at Joann Fabrics and I have a lot already, but here are some ideas for each month.

Each birdhouse takes one hour to do and I usually do them at night while I'm watching TV. I'm going to cut them out this weekend and get January's done so I can sit it out. I'm almost finished with my sisters box so I will probably get it done tonight or tomorrow. Speaking of my sister, she inspired me to put my stuffed cat in the kitchen when I saw she had put hers in there. So I put him in this little wagon with a plant. As soon as I can get to Walmart, I want to get a clay pot to use instead of a mason jar and I want some dried flowers instead of the plant. But this will do for now. I didn't realize my cat would match my tea for one set. I'm loving it.

I love this adorable necklace.

Well, now that I've taken up part of your day with my useless chatter, I'll close by wishing you a great weekend.

The future is...



I am beside myself with excitement. Next week, I will be signing up to become a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts. That means so much to me. It is a woman owned Christian business that derives its name from Proverbs 31. The story behind Thirty-One is very inspirational. My leader will be the lady who has been doing my shows for the last two years. I couldn't ask for a better teacher. So stay tuned for a new blog dedicated to Thirty One and online parties as well as updates on all the new products.

..........AND

I'm also excited that I'm going to redo my master bathroom. I have been debating and debating what to do it in. Then I saw a blog where Ms. Linda at Coastal Charm had redone her bathroom.  I got some ideas from there and from some items at Bed Bath and Beyond that made me decide on a beach bathroom. I've always wanted one because the beach is so relaxing to me and so is soaking in the tub. What better way to relax than to soak in the beach decor bathroom. Here are some of the things I have found that I like...(Ms. Linda used a basket on the back of her commode and I fell in love with that idea).

I've always been one to use toilet seat covers and you can't find them much anymore so I decided to just change the seat. I am either going with wood or with this...

Fell in love with this waste basket at Bed Bath & Beyond

This will be a work in progress as I gather what all I want. Stay tuned for before and after pictures.

Bagging it...

Purses, handbags, pocketbooks, totes. I'm a bag-aholic. I love collecting things and there are many things in my house that I have numerous items of ... teasets, clowns, beach items ... but my biggest obsession is purses, bags and totes.

This is just my collection of Thirty One products. I also have Donna Sharp purses & bags, some Vera Bradley, and some Aigner, not to mention various purses from Kohls, Belk, Target and Walmart. I call myself a closet purseaholic....simply because I have one closet dedicated to bags, purses, and totes.

Am I alone?

I change purses all the time. Sometimes I will carry one purse for several weeks and sometimes I carry several different purses in one week. I change billfolds to coordinate with the purse whenever possible and there are times I change my purse just because it goes good with my outfit.

With all the new patterns and designs out there, the days of black purse black shoes/brown purse brown shoes are gone by the wayside.

What about you?

How often do you change your purse out?

Do you have a lot of different totes for other purposes?

Do you change your billfold everytime you change your purse?

Just curious....

A touch of decor...

I'm riding the Tuesday Train at My Mad Mind

I wish I could hire my sister to decorate my house. She know where to find the "good" stuff and how to put it all together for the best look. She recenty purchased a cabinet at an antique store. This generated several changes in her kitchen. She simply rearranged things, "shopped" around her house and storage building and the final effect is nothing sort of spectacular. It is definitely country cozy.

Thoughts of spring....

I have no clue why I am in a spring mood. I just can't "get into" winter this year. I guess it is because our temperature goes from 23 one day to 60 the next and back down in the 30's the next.



It is crazy. I'm so confused. I don't mind winter. In fact, I like a little snow days once in awhile. Cozying up in the house with a good book or a craft project. Snuggling on the couch with my favorite blankie that my Mom made me.

Sipping hot chocolate with marshmallow.



And just watching the snow fly outside the window. That what winter is supposed to be about. Not 60 degree days. Even my poor trees are confused.

It's a long way to go for spring and they are already showing buds. Since I just moved in the first of November last year, most all leaves were gone so we don't have a clue what kind of trees they are.

I don't get the blahs in winter when it is snowing. I get the blahs when it can't decide what it wants to do. So bring on the snow and let's get winter rolling so we can get it out of the way.

My love affair with yarn....

I love yarn. I can't help myself. The deep rich colors, the soft pastels, the variegated shades and mixtures. If it is yarn, I will like it.

I make a lot of plastic canvas projects...mostly baskets, boxes and coasters. I find it very relaxing. Since I make up some of my patterns as I go and some are so easy that once you do it one time, you never need to look at the pattern again. I can do a coaster in about an hour. Baskets and boxes take longer so I work on them a little just about every evening that I don't have anything else going on.

I have let my projects go for quite a while. I have a bad habit of going gung-ho and then if I have to stop for any length of time, it takes me a while to get going again.

Last night I decided to clean and organize the yarn area of the craft closet. While I was at it, I cleaned out the drawer that has my plastic canvas material. I keep most of my scraps for those times when I need to make something small and can find enough pieces that I can cut it out of without having to use a new sheet. While I was cleaning that out, I saw my assortment of pre-cut shapes I bought last year at Hobby Lobby on sale. I had forgotten about these. I'm going to figure something to do with tall the little hearts for Valentine's day.

I found some projects in the drawer I hadn't finished...for one reason or another. So I'm going to work on everything this week and get some of them finished. One of these little coasters is completed, but the other one only needs stitches around the outer edge. About a 3 minute job at the most.

I started this about a year ago and had forgotten all about it. It is going to be a box to hold Yahtzee pads, dice and ink pens.

This past summer I started this little basket to sit in my bedroom to drop my watch and rings in that I wear the most. I never did get it finished.

I just started this two nights ago and have the top, bottom, one side and part of another side done already. I'll finish it by Tuesday or Wednesday. It's a box for my sister to put on her dresser to keep her bracelets in.

Now all my yarn is organized. All my works-in-progress are in one place with my current project in my craft bag. I'm ready to catch up on things. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has projects laying around that I've never completed. What are your incomplete projects?