Yes, They Make Your Ass (and gut) Look HUGE

Every woman has asked it at least once ...

Do these jeans

make my ass look big?

Yes, darlin'....they do.

High-waisted

pants and jeans?

REALLY?

REALLY?

HUGE

fashion trend mistake.

(Play on words)

Ugh!

I Need a Reboot

What was my first clue?

Uh...when my feet reluctantly hit the floor this morning

when I got up to head to the gym?

(It's not usually that painful!)

Uh...when I never got to my "second wind" zone

during cardio warmup?

When I barely made it through a moderate shoulder workout?

The last three days on my way home from work

I've driven in a sleep-deprived fog.

I'm getting in bed too late at night while trying to get up

at my normal gym routine time.

It's my body telling me I need a reboot.

(Or a vacation?)

Usually a good long nap does the trick.

I dim the lights in my office,

pull the shades,

turn on my Sleep Machine app,

and Mr. Sandman and I rendezvous.

It's motions week,

which means non-stop court time all day long.

I've had to work through my lunch hours on transcripts.

Finding the time for that nap is the dilemma.

It's Thursday...one more day and I get to sleep in.

Chill.

Relax.

Until then, I'll guzzle more coffee and green tea.

The strong stuff!

SMILE, T.

The weekend is ALMOST here.

New Life for Garden Pots

It's been a crazy busy week, as I had predicted.  I'm already looking forward to this weekend so that I can finish up my garden plantings.

I'd purchased a few plants last weekend at our local farmer's market in the city. Oh my, buzzing with shoppers!  You couldn't stir that place with a stick.  I regret that I didn't take pictures.  That intoxicating excitement of spring's first flowers, plantings, gardens, lawn plantings, vegetables...everyone wants a piece of it.  It's like cake.  You can never have a BIG enough piece.  You always think you need a little more.  I want it all!

I have two large pots in front of our house that we used for two big ostrich ferns -- I've heard them called by many names.  They're the ferns that grow upward, tall and stiffer leaves than the Boston ferns.  They don't droop nearly as much.  The pots had faded over this past year and looked tired and worn.  I spent last Sunday afternoon giving them a few coats of paint, various colors and washes to make them appear more ethnic.  Then I coated them with a light glaze.  I was thrilled with the results, a deep and dusty red with hints of black, gray and caramel.  It was a beautiful day, although extremely windy.  I had to use rocks to hold my cardboard palette in place as I painted, breathing new life into my garden and patio adornments.

This pot was an ugly dollar store tan plastic pot that I painted to resemble zinc.  

I then painted a little leaf decoration on the front in deep red.  

I liked the zinc look so much I painted a few other pots the same way.

I spied this adorable corkscrew plant -- a must-have!

The pot was repainted a mustard and black,

then a topcoat of antique stain.

The bigger matching pot, a darker caramel.

I'm kind of crazy about the mustard color.

This one had been washed out pale yellow.

B O R I N G.

The wash of mustard and stain gave it style -- "T style."

This pot had been light cement gray.  One of those cheap foam pots.

It's now a mix of reds, caramel, and black, 

then light touches of metallic bronze glaze.

Last but not least, my sweetheart fat bunny.

I'm sentimental about this little fellow, having bought him

in Winston Salem two years ago when I visited my friend...

my first visit to Raffaldini Vineyards!

(I'm tellin' ya...that will be my home some day.)

He had faded to a very washed out pale gray from last year's

hot sun.  I used a wash of browns, burnt umber and grays on him.

He's much happier now.

Let the growing begin.

FNL - Building Paradise

By having good memories

on every place you just visit,
you are building paradise

in your own heart and your life.”

~ Toba Beta

The best part of this music...get right to it...Counter 3:23
soulfully rich and passionate
the utmost

My little pieces of paradise from last weekend...

 Raffaldini Vineyards

 

Pieces of my heart have been left behind

in North Carolina…

and there they shall remain.

For I will return to live there one day.

My Creative Persona

People who inhabit moderately messy spaces are more creative than those who work in very organized ones.

Ahhh...explains everything.

Yep.  

That's what they said...

those

fine

perceptive

professors

at Columbia University.

but of course i concur.

A masterpiece in progress

FNL - Secret Garden

I was sifting through some old CD's I hadn't listened to in a while.

I grabbed a couple on my way out the door to go to work 

yesterday morning.

I popped in a CD

and this song came on...

I listened.

I listened again.

I hit REPEAT

and

just

kept

listening.

This is one fabulous song.

It is my FNL tribute.

(...and that SEXY sax solo...?...ooohhh)

The Good Stuff

I have a ton of music channels on my Pandora account.  My mood dictates what station I select.  Lately I've been listening a lot to the 80's station.  I rarely have to tap THUMBS DOWN.
The good stuff...it just keeps coming.  

And so does my heart smiles.  

I remember.  

I dance in my head.  Oh, and I may just even ... DANCE.  Wherever I am.  

Because it just feels right.  The music takes me to that happy place. 

That elusive happy place.

That place on my happy list.

Wherever that is.  My heart knows...

Last night I was out for a walk around 8:45.  It was almost dark.  The night air was unbelievably refreshing.  Just an outstanding evening for a walk. 

The sky was awash in blue-jean-baby-blue...

washes.......of blue and gray and white and navy. 

I drank it into my soul.

And on my Pandora app...the song playing?  In the Air Tonight.  Phil Collins.

Now that is a sexy song. And the PERFECT song for my evening walk.

My favorite part of that song is the percussion crescendo towards the end.  

It is the purest definition of a pinnacle of ecstacy.  

An explosion of delight

ne plus ultra

A great way to end my day.