Conversation on Laundry

While our granddaughter and her family were here in March, she had to wash some clothes. I have a white Maytag top loader that is 18 years old and looks brand new as I wipe it down after every laundry day. Before that I had a Kenmore that was 30 years old in coppertone and was still washing, but we figured it was so old that it could give out any time so we replaced it before it did. The guy who bought it from us was thrilled to get it in such beautiful shape. We take excellent care of our belongings. She has a front loader on a pedestal and I think it's dark blue.

Anyway, she stuffed so many clothes in there that it could barely rotate and there was undissolved soap when I went in to put them in the dryer—in 2 loads. Top loaders don't take as much as front loaders as we had one just after we got married. They were much smaller then then they are today. So one day while talking to her on the phone, I mentioned about top vs. front. She said the top loaders today have a problem with the rubber seal/gasket or whatever it's called. The seal mildews. I've heard this from a few people. We never had that problem.

This led to a discussion about how to do laundry. I gave her some tips and she was grateful. Since she lived part time with her dad and part time with her mom growing up, I don't think anyone taught her the specifics of laundry. In fact, I had told her we thought about buying a front loader next time maybe. She doesn't particularly like the front loader and had never thought about them not being sold much before the craze hit recently. So I gave her a few tips on how to add detergent, whites only, darks only, baby clothes needing extra care, etc. She was grateful. She didn't really know how to do laundry properly. I do!

When the rubber gasket went out, they called a repair man. It was almost cheaper to buy a complete new washer. She about fell over at the cost. Her hubby went online, purchased the gasket, found out online how to install it and saved a great deal of money. He's very handy for a computer science major in college. ;-) I think she'll purchase a top loader next time though. She learns a lot from her Nana (grandmother).
*

I remember these bowl covers from when I was a kid. I don't know if they make them anymore but they sure do jazz up a bowl when going to a potluck dinner or picnic.

I do lust after these kinds of tablecloths covering a table. Hmmmm. I may be able to make a longer tablecloth to mimic this effect. Just give me enough time!

It looks to me that this is either photoshopped or the sun had a wonderful glint to it the day the photo was taken. Love the pink surrounding the pool though. The pool reminds me of the one we had in Puerto Vallarta at Los Tules condos. Many days we had the pool all to ourselves. It was heaven.

This room is one—of many—of my favorites. I pretty much love everything about it, but I'd paint my walls pink.

I rarely can pass up a pretty rose without grabbing it for my Pinterest or blog. This looks like a wall hanging of some sort but not a painting for a wall.

Simplistic room but cleverly and graciously done.

I simply cannot pass up a cute small laundry room. They are just so darling most of the time, which just proves you don't need lots of cabinets or countertops to have a functional area for washing clothes. This homeowner has given it lots of cuteness with the blue check curtains and red check tieback and hanging laundry and a clothespin holder on pegs.

It's the little crock holding the bouquet that drew me in.

A simple little cove to sit in with a friend or hubby. Garden handy for them with chairs and a stool as a table.

I swoon over vignettes like this. And that cover on the arm of the sofa looks exquisite also.

A thick old vintage door, an old-fashioned mailbox, vines over the door of a stone house and moss or lichen growing on the stone path.

If blue is your favorite color, you have it here, especially with the pottery.

A very colorful house and steps with a handmade pond and table, chairs and bench to relax.

While I love that pink chair, notice the lamp. Very different and beautiful.

Two of my favorite flowers: roses and hydrangeas.

*

Tidbit:

Hotel owners in Hastings, Nebraska, are required by law to provide a clean, white cotton nightshirt to each guest. According to the law, no couple may have sex unless they are wearing the nightshirt.
~*~ 
Linking up with Transformed Tuesday.

Read more »

Living A Beautiful Life...Sometimes

During the 1970s and 1980s, I discovered Alexandra Stoddard and her books. I fell in love. If you've never read any of her books, you've missed a lot. The first book I read was Living A Beautiful Life. It changed my life as I've said before. I've read, and have, several of her books. They're calm and beautiful to read. She can be spiritual also. But it's her sense of how to live a beautiful life that drew me to her books.

I was working as the highest paid woman in a very top Fortune 500 company at the time and needed more serene time in my life. Those books taught me how to achieve it. While, she's a top decorator, and one of my favorites, she's a prolific author also. She has a keen sense of color and fabric. Her books take you on a journey to find happiness in this life.

A few weeks ago while cleaning out some beautiful storage boxes in which I have papers, ephemera, my clay flowers, etc. stored, I came across some of her Beautiful Living Companion brochures she would send out to us subscribers. I loved receiving them but I don't think she kept it up very long as she was too busy. But in one, and there are no dates on these, just volume numbers, it had to be from the 80s, I found a quote from her I'd like to share.

"There is no beauty without order. I've discovered that to the degree that we are organized we are in control of our lives. Haven't you found that the times when you allow your life to overwhelm you with chaos are the times when you are going through emotional turmoil as well?"

I found my answer is exactly as she spells it out. I'm not only disordered in my life/home, etc, but in my mind also. I'm not attending to my garden: the one I have in my head and the one I have when I sweep my arms out to encompass my life and home or, in other words, my environment. I have to have a calm talk with myself and sometimes it takes more than a one-time sit-down. Sometimes, it takes days or even a few weeks to get that calmness I need to pursue something. But absolutely first, comes the ease of the mind. Then comes the "getting to it" of it. That's how I function most of the time and I'm guessing a lot of you mimick that as well. Think on that statement. It has certainly helped me. There are times when I simply sit and read for hours and hours upon days and days because I just can't handle much at that moment. No, I'm not fragile, just have to contemplate it for a while. And my sweet, sweet hubby accommodates anything I want to do. He's my angel. Sometimes, I truly wonder how he puts up with me. Truly.
*

A dining room that pleases me. Chairs are darling. She has a bench on one side. Lots of pink, polka dots, checks and stripes. Lovely!

My kind of vignette also.

Love the sofa but where do I sit on it?! Beautiful pillows also.

We should all be lucky to have a dishwashing/sink area like this. Loooove it!!!

Yeah, yeah, I know. Dream on, bloggers.

A sweet night light. We have some of these for emergencies. I just thought of something: I could froufrou them up and bring them in from the garage. Today is the day I do that!

A very clever idea for old spoons and teacups: make it into a hanging lamp.

See, I told you leather sofas could be beautiful in a shabby chic home.

I recently went to a blog when she posted on mine. I'd never heard of her before, but on her blog sidebar she has a saying: I just want to make pretty things even if no one cares. My thoughts exactly. I feel the same way. I just want pretty things around me even if no one understands it.

I would give much to have this gorgeous pink cabinet. I don't think I've ever seen one so beautiful.

I love pretty cakes and these are indeed beautiful.

A house filled with roses can never be ugly. I can't wait until our rose bushes start blooming.

I also love pretty clocks and have more than I need, even in the living room I have 4 pretty ones, all working.

While the chair is lovely, the cushion is what makes it look so comfy.

Several years ago, my daughter gave me some Old Country Roses cups and saucers as she had place settings for about 25 people. She was scaling down. I decorated them and placed them around the house, but this one tipped on its side and made to look like a birds nest is prettier and much more clever than mine. Love it. Maybe I'll redo a few of them like this.

*

Tidbit:

 Steven Spielberg is Drew Barrymore's godfather. After seeing her nude in Playboy magazine, he sent her a blanket with a note telling her to cover herself up.
~*~
Linking up with NMH Open House Party and Pink Saturday.

Read more »

Flowered File Folders and Another Chair I'm Remaking

I'm trying to add ribbon to the back of the chair, but I'm not sure it'll add much to it. Sometimes less is definitely more. I'll see and experiment with other ribbons.

Perhaps just pink and white ribbons.

This is one file folder my daughter bought me. The company was Twos Company, but in looking on their site now 15 years later, it's much changed. There are 12 folders in all, 3 each of a different print. The rest are below here.

Pink roses on a pale blue background.

Red strawberries on a pink background.

And little pink and yellow roses on a white background.

This chair I bought in California a few years ago, brought it home and added roses decals to it. The wire seat broke so I put it on the porch for decoration.

So a while back I wanted another vintage white chair, thought of this and asked hubs to fix it with a new seat. He's on it now! He loves doing these things for me and I appreciate him doing them.

A beautiful garden spot on the back of a home. I love all the flowers the homeowner has growing up the trellises.

A very sweet and comfy-looking home. These kind of homes speak to my heart and I love them. Simple. Cute. Large windows. Sunny.

Just like I did with my faux hydrangeas. Love my pink ones in my white drawer.

Wouldn't we all love to have a living room about this size? I would. Mine is small but to have an area for 2 sofas is my ideal living room. Two sofas and about 4 pretty chairs. Ahhhh! That one on the bottom left is the exact style of the 2 chairs in our family room: t-cushion, rolled arms, skirt. Exact same style, just the fabric is different, but our chairs have had 3 different fabrics on them. Time for new ones this year.

I've never liked dark bedrooms with heavy dark draperies but this one is very pretty. It was that gorgeous pillow on the bed that drew me in though.

Now, since my favorite color combo is pink and yellow, I just knew I loved this room. Wicker chairs are very hard to pull up to the table though. However, I do adore this dining room.

I've never seen a slipcover with a damask-type fabric as this one. They all need tucking in on a regular basis and that's why I gave our granddaughter our sofa in the family room that had the green and white ticking stripe cover. You have no idea how many people asked me where I got that slipcover. Many asked me if I ever wanted to sell it to let them know. It was great, washed up beautifully and didn't need ironing. I bought it for $340 about 8 years ago but just couldn't sell it as I loved it. So I just gave the whole kaboodle to my only granddaughter for the great granddaughters to have a fresh cover. That's important with little kids and cats!! But this one is very elegant looking.

*

Tidbit:

Banker slang for people who pay off their credit cards in full each month: "deadbeats." (I'm definitely a deadbeat then!) 

Linking up with Pink Saturday. 

Read more »

Loud-Mouthed Cell Phone Users

Technology. Love it. Cell phones. Hate them.

I rarely ever use my cell phone. I keep it for emergencies if I'm in the car and have car trouble or need to call hubby if I'm alone. It's really just a security measure for me. Going out to eat in restaurants and listening to the loud-mouthed man/woman at the next table is an affront to us all who want to dine in peace and quiet. Or going to a store, waiting in line, and a loud-mouthed woman gives her whole love life/history/latest battle with the kids, etc., you know what I'm talking about, to her friend on the phone in the loudest voice on the cell phone. I'm really, really danged tired of it. The next time that happens I just may confront the person on bothering those of us who do NOT want to hear her problems loudly discussed while waiting to buy something. It's rude, offensive, obnoxious and disgusting to me. If you're guilty of this, stop it. Now.

Now, Love Bunny and I both have cells. As I've said, mine is rarely on, but I am on our land line sometimes and hubs will walk into the room on his cell phone while I'm talking. It doesn't do for 2 people in the same room to be on phones at the same time.

The other day he did it and I screamed at him that I was on the phone. Three times! I mean shouted out loudly. He later said he didn't notice I was on the phone, but I don't see how he could miss it. I had to shout 3 times and that's embarrassing to have to do it while he's talking business with someone, but this has got to stop. The person entering the room, usually him, should vacate the room asap. We'll have this discussion again as he tends to forget when he's concentrating on the phone but I've had enough of it. Especially the loud-mouthed women in the register lines at the stores. And restaurants? I won't even go there. I think these people just want to show they're "important." Well, don't do it in my space, guys. You impress me but it's a negative impression I'm getting. As I've said, two people cannot be in the same room when both are on cell phones!!!! Rant over. For now!

Oh, but there is one good point to cell phones: I call him on it when he's in another room, in the garage or outside in the yard, instead of yelling. (I learned this from my son because he has such a large house and called his wife from the family room when she was upstairs in the bedrooms.) Hubs has hearing aids but doesn't use them much, usually for church or when I insist. He talks much softer when they're in. Otherwise, I repeat myself several times. Losing hearing is a factor in aging but his was caused mostly being in the Marines and taking recruits shooting. He made them wear ear suppressors but he didn't. When we're young, we never think of that. But rock bands probably have absolutely lost most of their hearing. It does take its toll on our ears. Be very careful.
*

Yes, I love this bedroom also.

Darling way to display kitchen items.

What a cute bottle. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.

Another romantic cottage on the water. Sigh...

The hangers are what drew my attention.

My kind of way to gift wrap—PINK!

A "sweet" luncheon.

Just some more eye candy with roses on the letter holder and tulips in the pitcher for you.

A bit of lace curtains on the window.

Lovely balcony with lots of flowers around it.

What a gorgeous building. Not sure where it is though.

Colorful little sitting area with lots of bold colors.

Not roses, but the name escapes me for now.

An idyllic little spot to sit and read. Very unique hanging lamp.

More eye candy for ya, chicks!

~*~

Read more »