sugar with a flourish

I finally got my closet organized today. I'm not used to sharing a closet with the hubs. I booted him into the guest room in our last house. But for the moment we only have one bedroom, which means one closet. I have a ton of clothing. Seriously. I had to purchase 150 hangers. I started out with 40, thinking that would surely be enough. HAHAHA. I am such an idiot. Then I had to buy extra shelves to put on the floor so I could fold the rest of my clothes on them. In my defense, I currently only have one drawer in the dresser and it's underwear and socks. But today I got my shelves put together (took me forever to find the right ones!!) and I got the rest of my clothes settled in. I'm rather proud of my closet organization skills. I done good.

TJ is laying next to me in bed reading. He's got a lot of tattoos. I was looking at them and he goes, "You can lick them. They're flavored." I rolled my eyes and punched him instead. He actually used to tell girls that his tattoos were flavored. Some of them believed him. I can just picture the ones who did...*shudder*. I told him I was writing that in my blog. He said he'd deny everything. Like that's gonna do him any good.

I'm on a bracelet kick. I just got the most gorgeous one EVER from my good friend Keirsten over at Lune Designs. Check this baby out...

How awesome is that?? The picture barely does it justice. It's incredible. I get so many compliments. And because she is so very wonderful and knows how much I love earrings, she included a matching set for me! LOVE HER! Plus it makes this awesome clinky sound when I move. I walk around twisting my wrist back and forth to make it clink. Anyway, just excited about that and wanted to send some love Keirsten's way. She has some gorgeous stuff over in her shop (Etsy and Artfire) so go check her out!

Anyway, tonight's Spoonful word is flourish. I'm excited about this word because I've been having trouble thinking of good words. Probably because my brain is fried with packing, moving, unpacking, and organizing thoughts. We're leaving for Nashville and Ohio on Thursday, so there's going to be more packing. Oh boy, oh boy. Just what I want to do. Again. Here are the picks:

Flourish from Ara 133 Photography, Green Flourish Magnetic Display Board from Sentimental Stones, Flourish Medallion Throw Pillow from Asmus Home Interiors, and Ginger Spice Sugarcude Body Scrub from Flourish Bath & Body.

Again with the tree prints. I can't help it. They call to me. This is just beautiful. The little pink flowers are awesome. This shop is a must-see! There are some incredible photographs. So much variety and color. I adore almost all of them. That's rare because usually I find one or two prints in a shop that I like, but this one is awesome. Such an eye for pictures.

I love this little magnet board. Green is one of my favorite colors and the design on the board is so classy and elegant. It would be awesome set up on a plate stand in your kitchen. A cute little place to keep reminders and photos.

I love pillows. I think that's been established. I probably need to branch out, but this is the kind of stuff that catches my eye. That blue is the color of my living room. I can't wait to have all my furniture back so I can decorate! The colors are awesome together and the pattern is noticeable, but not too busy.

Bath products. I'm so predictable. But how yummy do these little bath scrub cubes look?? I could eat them. I had so much trouble deciding which one to use for my Spoonful. The colors are so awesome. There are some unique scents too, so be sure to check it out.

Okey dokey...I need to go to sleep so I can start getting up at a decent hour. TJ is twitching violently in bed beside me. It's hysterical. I don't know how he gets any sleep. I'd wake up every time. I'm going to turn on our new 32" LCD HD TV :) It was our present to ourselves since our other bedroom TV passed on not too long ago. I don't do a TV-less bedroom. I adore it.

Oh and real quick, I learned how to drive a stick shift tonight!! I knew how logically, but I've never been good at the execution part. So tonight we were on our way home from dinner with friends and I said, "Pull over, I want to learn to drive your car." So he did. TJ is a very patient teacher and it didn't take me too long to get the hang of it. I even drove the rest of the way home! I was very proud of myself. I only killed it once :)

Ok, off to bed! Sleep tight!

xoxo

lemon sugar sunshine

I know, I know. My titles are just getting downright stupid. I have this strange obsession with having something about sugar in them though. I can't help it. My fingers itch to type something less idiotic, but I can't do it.

Read a great blog post today...for any of you who buy bath and body stuff from sites like Etsy or Artfire, this is a must read. I never thought about the effects of essential oils on your body mostly because they're supposed to be "natural" and "natural" can't possibly be bad for you. It's natural, right?? Since I know absolutely nothing about all this stuff, this provided some really good information and made me stop and think.

I got absolutely nothing productive done today. However, I suppose that depends on who you ask. I got 3 perfect fitting bras. If you're a woman, you know what an accomplishment that is. I despise bras. I hate them so much that I hate spending money on them so I usually just get one that fits pretty ok from Target or something.

As we all know, the husband is coming home soon. It's been almost 6 months since I've seen him. So I decided I'd go to Victoria Secret and get something nice. I figured about $60 for a nice little set wouldn't kill me. So I go to the mall, pop into the store, browse a little, and head for the dressing room. I've never been into a dressing room at VS. I felt like a freaking rock star. It was a bit awkward at first since they measure and grope you, but it was oh so worth it.

So you walk up and they ask "what size bra you're wearing today". Not kidding. So I announced it in front of a roomful of strangers. The chick looked at me like I was crazy. Now, I'm not going to tell you my bra size. That borders on tacky. That's clearly info that only gets shared in the privacy of the VS fitting room. I will tell you that I was wearing a bra that was 2 sizes too big in the band and one cup size too small. Go figure. You know, you feel like a bleeding idiot when you find out how off you've been in that kind of thing. I mean, I'm 25. You'd think I'd know what size bra I wear.

Anyway, back to feeling like a rock star. The girl measured me and put me in a dressing room with my name on the outside on a little pink card. Then she starts bringing me all these bras in my size. Then she checks them all for the perfect fit. And I'll be danged if she wasn't absolutely right. It was like a rebirth for me. A bra that fit. I went insane. I got out of there for under $300...barely. I told TJ that I spent "kind of a lot of money". He didn't ask how much. He even actually said something along the lines of "oh that's fine". Funny how accommodating they are when you're buying VS lingerie.

Anyway, that was like the highlight of my year. If you've never been properly fitted (don't I sound fancy??), you should take care of that. It's a whole new outlook on life.

I'm sure you all feel very enlightened now. I'm getting sleepy and TJ will be calling to tuck me in soon, so I'm gonna do my Spoonful now. It's lemon-themed.

Metal Kitchen Sign with Lemons from In Him Designs, Summer Sunshine from Bagatelles & Co., Lemons Anyone from Faith Works 4 You, and Lemon Creme Body Sugar Cubes from Naiad.

I love, love, love this little sign! It makes me want to have a sunny yellow kitchen. At this point, I really just want my own kitchen. Soon. Soon. But I do have yellow dishes...I'm halfway there!

I don't know why I have this thing for lemons all the sudden. I'm so ready for autumn and winter, but I pick this bright summer yellow. I kinda want to carry this little clutch with a little black dress, but then I'm afraid I'd look like a bumble bee. But the purse is so stinking gorgeous. Not only do I adore the color, but the style is incredible. Very classy and elegant.

Is it just me or is this like the most precious little girl in the whole wide world? How cute is she in her little model pose with her big blue eyes and lemon dress?? The dress itself is darling too; with ruffled sleeves and a bow at the waist.

I love bath stuff. Especially salts and scrubs. This is a super cool scrub in cube form. And it smells like lemon creme! How yummy and decadent! I love lemon cookies. I'd smell like a lemon cookie all day. Then I'd be hungry all day. But I would smell delicious! And I'd be silky smooth.

And now I have to go downstairs and have some lemon cookies because all this lemon talk had given way to a craving. Not that it takes a whole lot to make me hungry.

Don't let the bed bugs bites!

xoxo

sweet red wine

I know you're all anxiously waiting to see what the next color on the universally flattering list is. In case you missed the title...it's "true red". Like red red. Fire engine, firecracker, cherry red. I'm way tired, so this is gonna be short and sweet.

The Spoonful...

Henrietta Bag from Sew Mo', Butterfly Corsage Jacket from Dark Pony Designs, Love is Red from T8 Designs, and EcoCollar from Greenbelts.

I'm loving this bag. It sold today after I had it picked out! I was too lazy to re-do my picture collage and I adore it, so it stayed. There are other colors, so go check them out!

I think this jacket is absolutely darling! The sleeves are the perfect length and the fit is sublime. The buttons are really cute too. Plus I love anything that's cropped like that too.

I don't usually like gold jewelry, but this bracelet is too cool. I love the multiple chains and the toggle clasp. I also love how the beads are randomly clustered. It has this messy, sexy look to it.

The last one is a little something for your doggie. I couldn't resist. They're eco-friendly and freaking adorable! It's fancy without being all prissy dog.

Sorry I'm so boring tonight. I picked some really good stuff to make up for it though!

xoxo

a spoonful of eggplant

I smell like grease. It's embedded deep in my hair. Every time I move my head I smell it. That always happens when I eat at a Mexican food place. My friend is going into the Coast Guard next week and we had a going away dinner for her tonight. Yummy food, nasty after-smell. I'm going to have to shower before I lay on my pillow. Otherwise it will be tainted.

Anyway, according to Real Simple magazine, there are 4 colors that flatter everyone; regardless of coloring and skin tone. I'm not sure if there's some kind of scientific reason behind this or if someone just decided that everyone looked pretty cool in these 4 colors. Either way I found the info pretty interesting. So I'm basing my next 4 Spoonfuls around it. Each one will be a little ensemble of one of the most flattering colors.

The first color on the list is eggplant. I think eggplants are really pretty. I always want to buy them in the store even though I know I'll never eat them. Plum and eggplant seem to be pretty big colors for the fall (don't I sound all fashion savvy??).

Tillie from Fussed, Weekend Scarf from Lush, Eggplant Shasta Slouchy Top from Circular Accessories, and Eggplant Earrings from Jure's Wire Jewellry.

I absolutely adore the fabric on that coin purse. I think it's so gorgeous. I'd love to do my comforter in that fabric. Yum! And the flower is gorgeous. I love the flowers like that.

I've never lived somewhere where I actually needed a scarf, but I've always thought they looked terribly sophisticated and stylish. Especially with a pea coat. A white coat would look especially cute with this scarf. I love the chunky knit look of this one. So cozy looking!

I've never thought about pairing eggplant with yellow, but I can't get enough of the color combo on this shirt! Plus I love the slouchy style. It's sexy and *ahem* forgiving at the same time. I look trendy and I don't have to suck in. Doesn't get much better than that.

How cool are those earrings?!? I can't imagine how long it would take to twist the wire into the beautiful intricate pattern. I also love how the bead is slightly off center. The perfect eggplant earrings!

Well, it's time for me to put on my PJ's and have a date with my DVR. It missed me while I was gone. Gotta catch up on the quality time. Hopefully my hubby calls soon. When he calls too late we don't get to talk for very long. Buuuuuut we did get to talk on the webcam today!! :) His always freezes and is really blurry so I don't get to see him really well, but it's so nice all the same. Plus he tells me how gorgeous I am the whole time. Can't beat that with a stick.

xoxo

p.s. Love the multivitamins I got at GNC! They're coated in a yummy sugary flavor so they don't taste like ass. Big plus. The pink pills make me a little jittery and kind of hurt my stomach. Supposedly I'll get used to it. We'll see. I'll give it a few more days.

the sweetness that is google

Google is my hero. Want to know what song you just heard on the radio? Only remember 6 words and 3 of them are "it", "the", and "can"? Not a problem. Google will find it.

Have no clue what the hell a Catahoula is and need to find a picture? Bring. It. On.

Want a true-to-size ruler on your screen? Google will get you one.

Are you in desperate need of a new Spam recipe? Google will suggest them before you even have to ask.

Got a blind date? Google his name. No surprises.

Experiencing severe depression and/or anger issues? Google will offer something better than Prozac.

Want to chat with your husband right through your email? Google is there for ya, babe.

Whether it's tracking the visits to your website, blogging, financial advice, satellite pictures of your house, photo editing, a map, a translation, or even someplace to organize and store your medical records, Google will never fail you.

Is there anything Google can't do? Probably not. Because today I found out something exceptional. You can send a text to "Google" on your cell with the name of something, a city, and state and Google will promptly text you back with all area locations and addresses. Ho-lee crap.

My sister taught me that today. Am I the only person who didn't know about this? And am I the only person who thinks that is it the absolute coolest thing EVER? GPS? 411? Who needs that when Google will freaking text you back! Blows my mind.

So in case you couldn't tell by all my subtle lead-in's, my Spoonful word for tonight is "google". Feast your eyes...

"Google It Sign" from Sawdust & Stitches, "Google Eyed Headband" from Wenopia, "I Will Not Google My Ex-Husband" from Mister Hannah's Sponge, "Google Eyed Watch" from Unstrung Sisters.

I believe that the "Google It" sign says it all. This will grace my entry way. It will say to all who enter, "Don't ask me stupid questions; ask Google." And there are a lot of other fun signs in the shop as well. Another fave: "Sarcasm: Just One More Service I Provide".

How fun is that headband? Seriously. It made me smile when I saw it. Plus whoever is modeling it has super fantastic hair of which I am insanely jealous.

For those of you who have faithfully read my blog, you know how "me" the next sign is. I know I'm no longer headed down the ex road, but the sentiment still makes me smile. I think I heard TJ roll his eyes on the phone when I told him about it. Husbands never understand things like that.

I love bracelet watches. They're cute and functional. Plus I like dangly things on my wrist. But this is like classy google eyes. I love that. The colors are just gorgeous too.

Anyway, travelling always makes me sick. I think I just get so exhausted. But it never fails. I always get sick. I had such an awesome time seeing everyone. I have the best family ever. I'm lucky to have been raised to be so close to them all. I'm so glad I got the chance to spend time with them all before I head back to Georgia.

But I'm tired and I feel icky, so I'm gonna call it a night. Sweet dreams!

xoxo

sugary ruffles

Ok, please refrain from saying that my husband is hot. I mean, I know he is and I'm proud of it, but if he ever reads this, he'll be hell to deal with when he sees all that. That's all I'll ever hear about...

Tomorrow I'm off to Kansas. Lets hope it's really a driving mood day because it's an 8 hour drive. But I have yet to figure out how to post pictures to my blog using my BB. I'll try to figure it out, but I might be MIA for awhile. Unless I can steal a neighbor's wireless or something. Well, I guess I could still post things even if I can't figure out the pictures.

Here's a cool website for everyone: http://www.listography.com/. If you look underneath the sign-in window, there's a pane where you can look at their fill-in journals. Kati has one and it's so neat. I love scrapbooks and the like, but I am just completely horrible at them. Cutting, sticking stickers, writing pretty...mostly everything you need to be good at to have a cute scrapbook. So these books are the same idea, but it's your life in lists. So it asks you to list things from your life; i.e. favorite games, people you've lived with, people you love the most, etc. So it's a cute little book of your life in nice, easy lists. It's a cool idea too. Anyway, just thought you might enjoy it.

I have a Spoonful now. My word is "ruffle". I saw some cute little ruffled butt underwear at Target today, so that's what created the ruffle Spoonful.

Venni Caprice Ruffle Neck Layering Dress from Venni Caprice, Romantic Flower Wrap Top from Lirola, Jr Ruffles Mini Pillow Pair from Miss Mosh, and Dogwood Ruffle Bag from Sweetgum Handbags.

As we all know by now, I have a thing for dresses. I love that you can wear this one multiple ways. You can build your own too! It's super cute and versatile.

And how cute is that top?? I love the fabric! It's so flowy and pretty. Romantic is the perfect way to describe it. It would be gorgeous for work with some black pants. Yum!

I adore the mini ruffle pillows! They would be just right for some chairs or to pile on your bed. And gray is totally my color too. Plus they look so soft and cushy!

And a bag. Must have a bag. I love the color and the style of this one. Kati just said it looks like something I would own. It definitely is. I had a suede bag like that before and it rocked. It lasted freaking forever and was super easy to spot clean. I love how the side on this one is ruched with buttons. Darling.

I hope everyone has a good evening and night!

xoxo

and the sugar comes full circle..

Gosh but Gmail is helpful. I still get the "be happier" ads, but those have since lost their appeal. However, I was checking my email earlier and I have a new one that is not only highly entertaining, it's rather enticing too. For reasons unclear to me, Gmail has picked up on my pyromaniacal tendencies. I have been offered the opportunity to get a degree in "Fire Science". What I want to know is why this wasn't available when I was in college. Forget my Master's...I'm starting fresh with "Fire Science". (Yes, I do realize that this is a degree for firefighters and the like, but pyromania is so much more fun. Besides, I'd learn everything I'd need to be an accomplished arsonist anyway.)

My blog has probably just been flagged by Homeland Security for writing that. I imagine next time I go to the airport I'll have quite an experience. They'll see my ID, think my name sounds familiar, check their watch list, and take me to the back room for a chat. And a cavity search. Golly, something to look forward to.

Speaking of watch lists, I got the phone call from CVS this morning; automated voice saying my scrips were ready. They called at 7:30am. I'm thinking that was totally on purpose. I know the automated voice didn't call anyone else at 7:30am. Anyway, I then got a call later in the day from a real live person to tell me that they had tried to refill some of them and they realized my refills were gone. Which I knew. I have the new scrips, I just haven't taken them in. I was wondering if they'd catch it. I was quite impressed when they did. The whole "we don't know anything about any prescriptions ever in the whole world" act was getting a tid bit tired. Glad they're changing it up. Keeping it fresh. Gotta keep me on my toes. Doing their jobs all the sudden; what a strategy. I certainly didn't see it coming.

Anyway, if you you remember, I talked about some good news that I got. I needed some time to get things figured out and just hold onto it for awhile. But now I'm just happy and excited and I want to tell people. So here it goes...my husband and I are going to work things out! He called me last week to say he missed me and he wanted to do whatever it took to fix our marriage! So I said yes. That's all I ever wanted from the beginning. It was a shitty, sucky, horrible, painful, awful 6 months, but now that everything turned out right in the end, the path I took to get here seems irrelevant. We both had a lot of time to reflect and learn things about ourselves. I know I've learned lessons that I will never, ever forget. I think we'll be a lot better for it. When it comes down to it, if either one of us wanted to be somewhere else, it would have been simple. All the hard things - telling our families and friends, divorce papers, etc. - were already taken care of. We both know what it's like to think you've truly and completely lost each other, and I know that neither of us will take it for granted again.

So, now I'm starting on a new journey. A happy, rebuilding journey. Believe me when I say that there will still be plenty of angry, sarcastic, entertaining posts. That's just who I am :) I told my husband that he might not want to read my blog because it said not nice things about him. He said my next post should be entitled "an apology to my wonderful husband". Ha! As if. I told him not to hold his breath. He called me a hooker and I called him an ass. God it's good to be back. I actually missed him calling me names. I guess I should put that in context since no one knows a whole lot about the good parts of our relationship. That's what we do. It's done with much laughter and love. Disturbing? Maybe. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

You know what's really disturbing though? Calling him by his name. Cuh-reepy. Unless I'm talking about him, I never use his name. I call him B. His name doesn't have a 'b' anywhere in it, and it's a long story as to how we got to that point so I won't bore you. But I just never use his name. He doesn't use mine either. Even when he's talking about me to someone he usually calls me Chelly. One of the things he did to really get under my skin during the dark times (that's what we decided to call the past 6 months or so) was to call me Michelle. It was the worst. My name was a punishment.

I'm not sure what the point of all that was. Maybe cause I'm stupid giddy happy. I realize that that could be quite a scary thing for all of you. I think I had a point though...

I just took a shower and I'm all shiny clean and ready to do my Spoonful now. My word for tonight is "circle". I'm at a point in my life where I feel like things have kind of come full circle, and I guess it symbolizes a new start. Whatever the reason, that was the word that stuck in my head. So circle it is.

You know the drill...Matchbook Notepads from The Card Stall, Abstract Fancy Tree from Else Studio, Recycled Wool Pillow from Bonjour Teaspoon, and Antique Silver Circle Drop Earrings from Simply Betty.

How adorable are those notepads??? I am obsessed with notepads, especially sticky notes. But notepads in general. I'm forever needing something to write on and I never have anything in my purse. Which is shocking because of all the other crap I have in there. I usually end up writing things on the back of receipts and losing both my receipt and my note. Ugh. Paper gets all bendy and ripped in the bottom of my purse, so I stopped carrying it. But not these neato things. They have a little matchbook case to protect your precious paper.

I know what you're thinking...more trees. I can't help it! Trees apparently speak to me or something. I just looooove the colors in this one though! How darling would it be in a little girl's room? It's a happy tree. Like the "Giving Tree", but that story always kind of made me really sad. That little kid was a jerk. But I digress...

Gray is one of my favorite colors (what does that say about me, K?) and green is right up there too. I love the simplicity of the pillow. It would add the perfect touch to a room that already has a lot going on or it would draw the eye in a room that doesn't have much going on. A win-win, really.

And earrings. We all know how I feel about earrings. I am a little hurt that my polite request for all Etsy sellers to cease and desist earring selling until I got my obsession under control was ignored...But I have this thing for the earrings with the chains dangling like that. They're gorgeous and sexy! And these are certainly no exception. They caught my eye right away.

Anyway, I need to catch a little nap. Husband calls really early in the morning. Stupid time difference. He tells me not to wait up, but seriously. I missed 6 months of this shit. No way I'm taking my Ambien and then being all coked up and loopy when he calls.

Have a good night all!

xoxo

p.s. I think I'm going to get a BlackBerry in the next few days...if I do I'll totally have Internet access when I go to Kansas. Depending on how you feel about me, that could be good or bad :) Anyway, how much fun would that be??? I've always coveted those stupid BlackBerry's. Now I get a pink one! It's nice to have cash flow again!

twice in one day; will wonders never cease?

Yeah so. I was all set to do my Spoonful. I already have the little picture collage made and everything. But Etsy has chosen to do scheduled maintenance at this very moment, so I can't link any of the stuff! It is 2am, so I guess they tried to pick a good time. 'A' for effort. Too bad I'm up way past my bedtime feeling the need to post my Spoonful. Oh well. Shit happens.

I really should go to bed. Maybe it's a sign that Etsy is unavailable. Maybe the universe is screaming at me to quit staying up till all hours of the night and then sleeping half the day away. It does make me feel like an incredibly big deadbeat. But I don't need to work at the moment. So it's ok for awhile, right? I need to get back on a normal person schedule. For some reason I find myself feeling less and less normal every day. Wonder why that is...

Anyway, since Etsy has deserted me, I guess I'll go to bed. Don't let the bed bugs bites!

xoxo

sugar covered grace

I know, I know. I'm kind of a tease. I talk about big curve balls and then I won't explain. It's good. Really, really good. But I'm going to hang on to this one awhile. I'm gonna hold it close and just savor it for a bit. Then I'll tell you guys all about it.

I found a new quote that I adore. It's from Shel Silverstein and it makes me smile:

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

Doesn't that just make your heart happy?

Anyway, my Spoonful word for tonight is grace. I just love that word. It's Kaitlin's (my niece) middle name, and if I have a daughter I want it to be her middle name too. It's just such a pretty word and I've always thought that if you take to heart the things it means, you'll be a better person.

We've got Grace Postcards from Unravelling, Metal-icious Pearls from Strands of Grace, Grace Kelly from Cuddle Regards, and Grace Eye Candy from In a Lather.

I absolutely adore those postcards. They are so gorgeous. I love the use of color and lighting. I really love the perspective they used too. They're stunning.

I find pearls to be incredibly elegant and classy. They seem to be the jewelry incarnation of grace. I love how this necklace combines a traditional style with a more modern look. The contrast is gorgeous.

And how freaking cool are those cards that look like a purse! You have got to make absolutely sure to go browse that shop because there are so many cool, fun, unique, and beautiful cards to look at. I'm in awe of the creativity and talent. I'd feel horrible writing in them!

I love how yummy that soap looks. The scent sounds so soft and feminine and the colors are awesome. Does anyone know how they make the perfect little swirls in the soap like that? They're crazy cool.

Anyway, last night was a late night/early morning and I'm tired as hell. I'm gonna call it a night.

Ugh. The palm of my hand itches. I hate that. No matter how much I scratch, it doesn't make a difference. What's up with the skin on your palms that makes it un-itchable?? Drives me nuts.

Totally off the subject. Lack of sleep is messing with me. I hope everyone has a fantastic night!

xoxo

little black spoonful

This is going to be kind of a "post and run" thing. Sorry about that. I'm just excited about my next Spoonful and wanted to get it in real quick! I was feeling sassy the other night and I searched "little black" on Etsy. I found some really fun stuff, but I've narrowed it down to 4 for my Spoonful collection.

Jessica from My Black Dress, Ayala Levinger Art Bag from Ayala Levinger, Little Black Dress Olive Oil Soap from Savor, and Little Black Earrings from Linda Trent Jewelry.

Everyone knows about the LBD. Sadly, I don't own one. I need one now. That's exactly what I picture when I think of an LBD though. Simple, sleek, sexy, elegant, and classy. It's absolutely fantastic!

And that BAG! Oh my gosh! That would go with my LBD (the one I don't own) perfectly! It's such a cool and unique style.

I picked the Little Black Dress Soap because it seems powerful to me. Really feminine and sexy. Plus, it's black soap. How cool is that?? The perfect thing to prepare for your LBD night out.

Heaven forbid I don't include jewelry in my Spoonful...Love, love, love those earrings though! They'd look great on my ears with my hair pulled up. All shiny and dangly and cute. I can see it now :)

I just need somewhere to take all my cool little black stuff now! It's on my list though, believe me!

xoxo

catch some sweetness in a jar

Well, trouble found me. I knew it would. Didn't take nearly as long as I expected either. Although my sister and Ben were sick last night, I took one for the team and went out with a friend. We went to see his friend's band play and then to two different people's houses. When I went to bed, the sun was completely up. Lordy, Lordy. Someone please remind me that I am too old for this. I've done all this crap already and it almost killed me the first time around. I had an awesome time though and I didn't drink so much that I feel like ass today. So, overall it was a success.

Luckily I don't have to be grown up or responsible quite yet. I'm pretty sure that will put a direct stop to all my wildness. Haha. Oh well. Enjoy it while it lasts, huh?

My dog is currently laying across the pillows at the top of my sister's bed. Lins is too nice to move her. If I was sick like that, I'd be pushing her furry little rear over. Instead Lins is just wandering around the apartment finding things to do until my princess dog feels like moving. I hope she's not holding her breath.

Anyway, my Spoonful word tonight was "firefly". I don't know why. Other than the summertime always makes me remember catching fireflies at my grandma's house. And I like fireflies cause they're pretty. There aren't any in Texas. This upsets me. So tonight I have brought fireflies to the Lone Star State.

The line-up: Tree of Fireflies from zMac Photography, Mini Firefly Lantern from April Hiler Designs, Sterling Silver Firefly Bookmark from Ysabelle Sol Art & Jewelry Designs, and Firefly from Bean Tree Designs.

I apparently have this thing with tree art. Those are the ones I'm drawn to. Isn't it cool though? All the lights in the branches? Yeah. I thought so. I thought that little lantern was darling too. It's supposed to be for a flower girl to carry at a wedding. I'd just hang it up somewhere since I will never, ever be party to another wedding in my life :)

I love my Amazon Kindle, but I really like bookmarks too. And this little firefly bookmark is awesome. But I have nowhere to put it. Good thing that doesn't make a bit of difference when I'm picking out stuff for my Spoonful!

I've noticed that I always have jewelry in my collections. This just highlights my sick obsession. But you know how they say you should love yourself for who you are? I'm just gonna go with it. But I love the colors and the dangle beads. I have a thing with dangle beads too. I have lots of things. That sounds awkward...

I'm going to bed now. I feel like I've taken my Ambien even though I haven't. In case you were wondering, that's a rather scary phenomenon. Since I'm not allowed to be on the Internet after I take my Ambien, I should probably go now before it gets really ugly. Jers is still snoring away on my sister's pillow. Imagine that.

xoxo

sugar falls

Well. I'm in College Station. Where everyone is sick as hell. My sister and her boyfriend both sound like they're dying and I'm going down with them. Damn sick people. So now we have a chorus of hacking, coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing. It's way attractive. So far I'm not as bad as they are. Just a sore throat, runny nose, and coughing. I don't feel sick sick yet though. I'm taking Tylenol Severe Cold like my life depends on it. Which it kind of does, I think.

So much for trouble...oh well. Trouble has a way of finding me. I doubt it'll be too long before the opportunity presents itself again.

You know what is so stupid? Paper towel commercials. There's always this kid making a massive mess. Like throwing a cereal bowl or kicking a plate of spaghetti. Then it splatters everywhere into the biggest mess on the planet. A mess that would inspire yelling and stomping from me. But nooooooo, this mom just grabs one sheet of Bounty and smiles and laughs and hugs the little demon child. This does not happen in real life. "Oh sweetie, it's ok that you smeared hot wing sauce all over my white walls because we have Bounty!" Yeah friggin right. Random, I know. I just think of that every time a paper towel commercial comes on.

Today's Spoonful keyword was "autumn". Call me crazy, but I'm a tid bit tired of triple digit temperatures and scorching heat and suffocating humidity. I long for just a cool breeze. *sigh* I can't wait for fall and all the pretty leaves and fun holidays. When people can go out and get the mail and not need a shower afterwards. Only in my dreams at present. Ugh.

Anyway, so here are my autumn things that make me almost feel a few degrees cooler!

Here's the roll call: Autumn Sterling Silver Ring from Firefall Studios, Eternity Brass Antique Leaf Necklace from Rhonda's Treasures, Rococo Shawl from Tickled Pink Knits, and Autumn Landscape Metal Artwork from Copper Leaf Studios.

I adore the ring and necklace. I have this thing with leaves. It's just lately. I've never been a leaf person before. But I love how the ring spirals around and how elegant the pearl makes the necklace look.

My most favorite from this particular collection is the shawl. Oh. My. GOSH! I don't know if I could pull it off, but how stinking cute is that? I love, love, love the color and how it drapes on the edges. The pin is beautiful too. I just fell in love as soon as I saw it.

The last one is actually metal art. It's a maroon background with a gold metal overlay. I love how there's a picture in the cutout, as well as an etching on the metal.

I gotta refuel on the Tylenol. Rapid Release is the way to go in the Tylenol world. Just FYI. I hope everyone is having a significantly colder day than me!

xoxo

ruby red sweetness

Hot. So hot. I feel like I live on the equator. This is outrageous. I've probably said this 812 million times, but I don't ever remember it being this miserable before. Come on fall! Not that it will really cool off here at all till October, but I can't wait for all the fun holidays! Fall and winter make me happy.

So, my Spoonful theme today: ruby. I was inspired by Keirsten's necklace/bracelet (which is included in the collection). I love that sucker. Plus, Ruby is my grandma's name. I adore my grandma. She is the most incredible person I know. So rubies make me happy. So I went with it. I found some really awesome stuff.

Today's lovely collection includes Ruby Red Rose Natural Soap from Intentions, Ruby Red Convertible Necklace-Bracelet from Lune Designs, Ruby Jade from Honeytree, and Ruby Flock Flower Placemat from Kainkain.

How fantastic is that print? It's incredible. I love the colors together. I usually have a hard time deciding what to pick, but I saw that and immediately knew it was going in. Doesn't that soap look yummy? I'm kinda scared to buy something like that cause I really want to eat it. Is that weird? Probably. But weird is what I do, so it's cool.

I think you all know by this point that I am not a place mat type of girl, but this one ROCKS! I love the black and red together. And it's so simple. I'm actually setting my dining room table in my head. For someone who wants to throw her remote through the TV when wedding shows come on, that is awfully domestic.

And I saved the best for last...that necklace! First of all, it's two pieces of jewelry. Common sense tells us that two is always better than one when it comes to jewelry. And the colors are incredible. The beads look so smooth and cool. Kinda like glass tile. I apparently have a glass thing.

I really need to take a shower now. I have to finish laundry before I can pack to go visit my sister. Oh, I'm going to visit my sister today. I'm going to spend the rest of the week with her. See if I can't get her in a little trouble.

xoxo

roping some sugar

Blah. It's been a day. A hot one. Holy crap. I swear that it has never, ever been this hot and humid and miserable here. I know I was gone for awhile, but this was not how it was. I ran errands today and I felt like I was gonna die from walking in and out of the store. I got some new furniture for my bedroom though. I was running out of places to put my clothes (how horrible is that??), so I got this little cabinet and some cubes with baskets. I got it all put together this afternoon and it looks cute.

Funny story - I have a friend who flies Apache helicopters in the Army, and he got some new gear the other day. So he was looking at the box, and it was talking about the warranty and what it did and didn't cover and all that. He said the last two lines were, "This guarantee is void only if the PELICAN product has been abused beyond normal and sensible wear and tear. The above guarantee does not cover shark bite, bear attack or children under 5." Hahahahaha. I laughed my ass off. Children under 5 go in the same category as sharks and bears. But seriously, who puts sharks or bears in their warranty anyway? It's not like they're even closely related or anything. Too awesome. I guess people who make products for the military have to plan for every occasion. So, there's a little humor for tonight. He saved the box, so hopefully I'll get to see it one day. It would make me incredibly happy.

Job searching sucks, just so you know. I'm not to the point where I'm desperate and I have to take the first thing that's offered to me. It would just be nice to be able to find something I like. I wish someone would just offer me a really awesome job with a great salary and fantastic benefits. Anyone? At all? *crickets* No? Ok then...

Just a warning, what I'm going to say next will spoil The Bachelorette. So if you haven't watched it yet, and you want to, read no further.

Ok, now can you believe that Ed couldn't close the deal??? And then he talked about it on TV? Holy crap. I mean, I know it's one of those things and it probably is really awkward with cameras filming everything for millions of people to see. But seriously. Poor dude. They didn't have to show that shit. He's going to be that guy from now on. Guarantee you that's the first thing they'll ask him on the reunion show. God, I just feel bad. That's no one's business.

My Spoonful tonight is a collection of lariat style necklaces. I absolutely love them, and I've found some of the most gorgeous ones ever.

Yummy! How awesome are those?? First of all, I'm going to say that I'm a horrible person and I have no idea where the first one came from. Here's the thing: I always look over a few days and pull up some Internet windows with items I like. Well, that one got closed AFTER I already made the little picture collage. I've tried really hard to figure it out, but I can't. So sad day. From there on, we have Maeve Lariat from Eye Love It, then Prepster Lariat from Silver Dot Jewelry Designs, and the last one is Summer Sun from Made By Sam.

Anywho, off to finish up the laundry and hit the sack. Hope everyone has a great night!!

xoxo

drunk on sugar

You guys are so sweet! You missed me! You don't know how nice that is. I got so many comments and emails from everyone, and I really appreciate it. I'll do better from now on, I swear.

Today has been a day. My computer erased an article (along with all my research) randomly today. Jers has been limping lately. I think she just stepped on her leg wrong, but it still makes me nervous.

This is the best part though: I had TWO flat tires on my car. I just replaced the battery. Piece of crap. I don't think I ever told my battery story. So. I take my car to Auto Zone to get a new battery because my car just decided to stop starting. Love that. So I give the guy all the info about my car, he gets the battery, and then we go outside so he can put it in.

Oh, oh first of all, he saw my military ID in my wallet and he (I shit you not) whips out his wallet, flashes his ID, and says, "Army Reserves." Wait. For real? So I'm just like great, he's one of those guys. So now we go outside. He sees my base sticker on my car. I also have a sticker with my husband's unit on it. Clearly I need to take it off. He has a really cool job. I could explain it, but I don't think I'm supposed to and it would just confuse the hell outta everyone anyway.

So then Auto Zone homeboy (who will now be referred to as just "homeboy" for the duration of this post), starts talking about how he does the same thing as my husband. Which he does not. I promise you. I asked him what unit, and he rattles off the big one. Everyone is part of the big group. Then you're assigned a specific battalion. So that right there proved him wrong. I guess he thought I was one of those wives who had no idea what my husband did. Ha. I know it all.

So he's telling me all about his "war stories" and how he has 7 Purple Hearts. Again, he doesn't. I promise. And wouldn't you learn to duck or something after the first 3 or 4? Anyway. That irritates me because people have earned those and he's using them like it's nothing. That's a whole other topic though. So then he's telling me about his 6 Mustangs and really cool motorcycle. Homeboy works at Auto Zone and he's in the reserves. He doesn't have any of that shit. He thought we were tight though. Dumb shit.

Oh but it gets better. He pops my hood and he can't find my battery. Yes, for real. He was so confused. So I kindly pointed out the plastic housing that encased the battery. He goes, "They wouldn't put it there." Oh really? They wouldn't put it under the big battery shaped plastic thing with the terminals sticking out and a big positive/negative sign on it? No?

Good God. So he gets out the owner's manual and is like pouring over it. It was sweltering. I had the urge to start the car and give him a nice little kick. That's the closest he would have ever come to a Purple Heart. So I just told him that my dad would put it in for me and not to worry about it. Then he all the sudden decides to unscrew the plastic battery housing. Good call. Then homeboy actually has the audacity to say, "I'm a genius." Totally what I was thinking...

GAWD! People just amaze me sometimes. It's just another one of those rapid blinking situations. There's just not a whole lot you can really do or say in the face of that kind of stupidity.

So, the point of all that was that I need a margarita. I've made a new friend who used to be a bartender and he makes the best margaritas EVER! Yum :) Tequila and I have always been close, but we're quickly getting really reacquainted. Haha. So fun. Not sure what I'll do when I actually have to get up and go to work like every other upstanding contributing member of society.

Anyway, I'm going to try a new spin on my Spoonful. I think I'll pick a theme or word, search it, and then do a couple different items from my results. So I used margarita tonight. I'm really in the spirit now. I think I'm going to go have a few later tonight...

Anyhow, here are the things I loved the most:

So, we have the Margarita Clutch Purse from Davie & Chiyo. The Margarita Necklace & Earring Set from Bead Stylin'. Next is the Margarita Glass with Red Hibiscus from Aressa. And last, but certainly not least, is the Margarita with Salt Bath Bomb from Pink Bricks Bath & Body.

I love all my sugars :) The clutch is so, so cute and summery! I love that style of fabric flower. There was lots of margarita jewelry to choose from, but I couldn't get over how much that set really captured the exact color of a margarita. And that glass...hand painted! Oh my gosh. I am in awe at the talent it takes to do something like that. I don't even think I have to explain the bath bomb. Baths and margaritas...are there really any words?

So, let me know how you like the new Spoonful. I missed you guys! I'll get back around to commenting and everything in the next few days. Thanks for sticking with me even though I ran away for a bit. It was really good for me, just so you know.

Have a great night!

xoxo

"you'll be so proud" sugar

I'm planning ahead. I know I'm going to be gone tonight, so I'm doing my Spoonful before I leave. Novel idea, I know. Aren't you proud??? :)

I gotta hurry though because I had a bunch of stuff to do today and now I'm running late. Haha. Not enough hours lately. That's good though. To quote Keirsten, "Don't you feel kind of perversely self-satisfied when you feel exhausted because you were out screwing around with your friends?" I definitely do :)

Tonight's Spoonful is very festive. I'm in a festive mood :) God, I need to quit with the smiley faces. I'm annoying myself. Anyway, it comes from Linda Sue Designs.

It's called a Fairy Light! How fun is that? I have this thing for lanterns already, but I love the vintage look of this one. How cool would a whole bunch of them be outside at night? Yeah. Really cool.

Ya'll have a good night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!

xoxo

i'm sorry sugar :)

I know, I know. I'm bad. Life has been crazy lately though. Things got really stressful. Then I kinda went crazy and got a social life all the sudden. I'm remembering what it's like to be able to do whatever I want. It's a hell of a lot of fun. I've gotten home after 4am three nights this week. My body is very, very upset with me. I'm so danged tired. But I can't stop smiling. I think I might be truly happy for the first time in a long time. Who knows if it will last, but I'm going to revel in it while it does.

I actually ended up signing the papers today. You know, it was pretty ok. I have to mail them off tomorrow. I think it's gonna be all right. I was afraid there for awhile. I need to slow down though. Haha. The stress combined with the late nights is kicking my butt.

I really need to get back on track. Like actually working during the day...I had a custom order today though. I'm really, really excited about it. It's going to be my biggest project yet :)

For now, I'm just going to do my Spoonful and get some sleep. That way I don't tile my work table tomorrow.

It comes from Letter Perfect Designs. I've been having a thing with pillows lately. I need to get my own place because I'm totally having decorating withdrawals. These pillows are the cutest things ever!

How darling are those! I'm loving the buttons. Jersey would probably chew the buttons off and then I would have to wring her little furry neck. Maybe I'll just get like 12 back-ups :)

I'm getting delirious. Oh! I went to CVS today and had only minor issues. It was an effing miracle. I called this morning to check on them and they said that they had refilled them and I hadn't picked them up so they put them back into stock. Funny story. This time, I didn't get a phone call. Before I get calls and they act like they've never heard of prescription meds, and now I'm not getting calls. But I planned ahead for their stupidity. I call this morning and they were all ready when I got there this afternoon. I was incredibly nervous. Now would not be a good time for something like that to happen to me. I get grumpy when I'm tired.

Anyway, everyone have the sweetest of dreams.

xoxo

favorite person sugar

So I was thinking. There are just some people who make me smile everyday. Angela is one of them. She cracks me up, says things I would so love to say, is always on my side, and is just generally tons of fun. She's decided to be more aggressive in her advertising and stuff, and I want to help. Even if it's just a little. So she's tonight's Spoonful.

Her shop is called CutNGlue. She makes the most gorgeous collages. I do not know how she has the patience. I'd start cutting these intricate little things and get pissed and tear it to shreds while screaming and stomping. These are two of my faves.

The doggie one is my absolute favorite! It looks just like my doggie and it's just so stinking cute. I love how the sky and grass are all different shades and textures. So cool. If I tried that it would end up looking like a 2 year old did it. I can't imagine the time and creativity it takes! Plus I just adore her :) Check out her way cool blog while you're at it. You'll smile, I promise. And believe it or not, I still like her even though she likes pickles on her pizza!

Have a fantastic night!

xoxo

risky sweetness

Well, Gmail had some new words of wisdom for me today. It's been awhile. No wonder my life was spiraling out of control.

Take a D E E P breath - www.happier.com - Exhale...Get yourself to happier.com and Let Go Of All That Anger!

It's so funny how it does that after I write a depressing post and all my wonderful people leave me sweet comments! You guys are awesome. Every single comment makes my day. Thanks for taking the time.

Have I mentioned how much I love my prison show?? It's probably unnatural to get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. Do you know that there are still prisons that execute people by firing squad?? I guess you get to choose your method of execution and this guy was talking about how he chose firing squad because he wanted them to "have to look at who they were killing" and not "just inject him with something". Like he's trying to get them to feel bad about it. Give me an effing break. Then he's talking about how the conditions are horrible and it's like a dog in a cage and dogs get treated better than prisoners. Blah, blah, blah. He said that he's humiliated, degraded, and neglected everyday. Golly gosh, my heart just freaking bleeds for you. Perhaps we should have considered that before we slit some one's throat, hmm? Pardon my lack of sympathy for your plight. People like that disgust me. It's prison people, not Club Med.

I learned something else useful from my show though. You can totally buy drugs with a credit card! Dude. I had no idea. It's been awhile since I was on the streets. I just had this hilarious picture of drug dealers in creepy alleys with a credit card scanner. "Would you like credit or debit? On no, we don't take American Express. Killer usage fees. Input your pin number please. Now, this is going to show up on your statement as 'Crack Cocaine'. I just want you to know what it is, haha." Oh and they were talking about how they smuggle drugs into prison. I'm sorry, this is a little graphic, but I don't want to smoke, snort, or inject anything that has been hidden in some one's "body cavities". Withdrawal sounds preferable, thanks.

Tonight's Spoonful makes me smile. She has a shop on Etsy and ArtFire. It's a shop called Risky Beads and it's as cool as the name sounds. Her catch phrase is "Accessories with Issues". Finally someone else sees the necessity of this. I have issues; it's only right that my accessories should as well. Plus, a lot of her stuff is named after food, and well, we all know how I feel about food.

It took me forever to narrow down some of my faves. Make sure to go look at her whole shop because there's something for everyone. She has fun and impeccable taste.

Hahaha. This guard was just searching and cell, and he goes, "And this is a crack pipe. So they can smoke crack." Wait, really? It doesn't like hold precious keepsakes or something?

I didn't sleep too well last night, so I'm gonna go. Don't let the bed bugs bite!

xoxo

bittersweet

Deep breaths tonight. It might seem stupid to some, but watching "Jon & Kate" tonight ripped my heart out. Watching them go through what I am brought up a lot of pain. Pain that I've been pushing down so hard it physically hurts. It made me so mad when Jon said he was "excited". I think my husband said that at one point. It's the most hurtful thing anyone can say. They're so ready to be rid of you that they're actually excited. Then Kate just said, "I don't want to be alone." That just says it all. I don't want to be alone. I'm not saying she's right and he's wrong or anything. No one knows what truly went on. No one knows what truly went on in my marriage, but I'm seeing it from the perspective of someone who has been there. Who is there. And it's just what I see.

It's weird how the pain goes away and I feel almost ok. Then all of the sudden it comes back with such force that it literally drives me to my knees. I'd rather it just hurt constantly than surprise me like that. When I least expect it and I'm least ready for it, there it is in all it's glory. I haven't let myself miss him for a long time, but God help me, I do. So, so much. And I'm so mad at myself for that. How can I possibly still miss him? I know better. Haven't I learned a damn thing? Seems not.

I want my life back. I don't want a new life. I want the one where I was happy. I want the life back where I wasn't in limbo and I had security and I knew where I was going to be the next month. I don't want to have failed.

I'm giving myself permission to cry tonight. I'm crying right now. I can only run from it for so long. I'll catch my breath soon enough and take off running again. Until then, all I can do is feel it. Let it wash over me and drown me. Just get it over with. Sorry to be so depressing. It's just one of those nights.

A Spoonful of Sugar helps the medicine go down though, and it's a good one tonight. So here it goes...It comes from warpeDesign.

I love how the light shines through the punched holes. Especially up against the gray shade. It really stands out. I know I would rub a hole in it from running my fingers over the bumps. I'm odd like that. There are some more lampshades and some cards and other cool paper stuff in the shop, so go check it out.

I gotta turn the light off and get lost in my prison show. I will picture no one being violated. Cross my heart...

xoxo