What I Wore to Work - Making Waves

A different hairstyle for the Summer - finger waves.  By no means done the right way!  But I found I could achieve the wavy look I wanted by parting my hair in the center, adding gel to the sides, then forming S curves using a fine tooth comb.  I placed large alligator clips in the bends overnight to help hold the waves in place.  I used flexi-rods in the back of my hair for tight curls.  When getting ready for work the next day, I just remove the alligator clips and flexi-rods for a vintage-inspired wavy look. 

Merona dress & necklace from Goodwill

Shoes (not shown due to my poor photo skills!) - Anne Klein from Goodwill

Floral hair clip - Dana Buchman from Kohl's

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I started playing around with the photo effects in Photobucket while uploading the pictures for this post. 

Painting effect

Ink Stamp effect

Film Grain effect

Pop Art effect

And my favorite

the Fresco effect

Mary Ellen

Garden - Spring/Summer 2011

My plan for the garden this Spring/Summer was to plant less with hopes of it producing more.  I filled my small garden square with four zucchini plants.  And in the larger square, planted roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, green bell peppers and red bell peppers.  Plus I have some chard which I planted last Fall that somehow managed to make it through the Winter. 

Zucchini plants

Tomato plant blossom

Bell pepper plant

Maybe I'll actually get a bell pepper this year!

Gardens are like chilren.  If you blink, they grow!  Since the time I took the photos above, the zucchini plants have blossomed and have a few zucchini coming in.  The grape tomato plants have exploded with little green tomatoes and the romas are putting on some too.  Some garden pest took to munching on the leaves of a few of my bell pepper plants.  I'm not sure what it was and I was a bit too chicken to go out to the garden at night to see!  I spread some crushed eggshells around the munched on plants and it seems to have deterred said pest (I'm thinking maybe slugs).  The pepper plants closest to the tomatoes avoided damage.  One even has a tiny pepper emerging!  I've never been able to grow peppers so I've got my fingers crossed!

Mary Ellen   

Yard Sales - Where Has the Love Gone?

Last year - Black & White Toile plates - $10



Last Summer, was the Summer of Yard Sales for me.  I had never been into yard sales before until one morning, Dave and I decided to drive around and look for a few before we went to the farmer's market.  I was hooked!  Awesome treasures and fabulous finds for less than Goodwill prices!  Plus those early morning yard sale adventures became our couple time.  We would leave the kids sleeping at home with my Mom, drive around to the sales, head to the farmer's market then enjoy a small breakfast together at one of the restaurants near the market.  When yard sale season ended last year, I could not wait to start again this year.  BUT...something happened.

Last year - Vietri Bowl - $2



The kick-off to my yard sale season this year was going to be a Spring church yard sale Dave and I have always attended.  I have pretty much done all the kids' clothes shopping there for the last few years.  Name brand clothes in excellent condition for .50 to $1 a piece.  But the church decided to no longer hold the sales.  So my launch into yard sale 2011 never happened.  In addition, I found I really enjoyed getting my grocery shopping done earlier on Saturday mornings instead of later in the afternoon.  Early morning shopping at Trader Joe's is a completely different experience than late afternoon shopping at Trader Joe's LOL!  So there you have it.  I've only gone to one yard sale this year.  And that was last weekend.  And only because it was in our neighborhood and I was passing by on my way to the farmer's market. 

Last year - Urn & baskets - FREE

 But Dave is still feeling the love.  And he has a new partner in crime. 

Clayton, yard sale shopper-in-training

Yes, our 6yo son Clayton!  Despite his young age, Clayton is a lover of thrift.  He thoroughly enjoys finding "scores" with Daddy.  And has learned he can stretch his allowance much further buying toys at yard sales.  I can totally see Clayton decorating his college dorm room with yard sale and dumpster finds - just like his Daddy did.  And if Clayton attends college locally, I can totally see Dave driving over to help him, with head lamp and dumpster claw in hand! 



Last year - Oneida tea set - $5

As for me, I told Dave I'd like to do "yard sale -lite" this year.  Maybe visit a few estate sales on Sundays.  I'm hoping to find a few vintage items - a typewriter, pair of white gloves, hats and linens.     

This year Dave picked up this 25 bottle wine rack with cabinet for $15. 

My only yard sale buys of the year - 2 Pier One bird plates and an antique leather baby/doll boot for $6

How has your yard sale season gone so far?

Mary Ellen

I'm linking up with the Nester!

Ankyloglossia

Reed during last summer's backyard art project

Ankyloglossia.  About a week ago, I didn't even know what that was.  It is the technical/medical name for "tongue tie".  Our Reed has been doing in-home speech therapy sessions for a few months now.  A week or so ago, Reed's speech therapist noticed his inability to move his tongue around in order to produce certain speech sounds.  After a talk with our pediatrician and a consult with our ENT, it was determined Reed is definitely tongue-tied.  When he sticks his tongue out, the small tissue underneath (frenum), actually causes the tip of his tongue to curl under.  Tongue tie is usually discovered when infants have trouble latching.  But amazingly, Reed was a breastfeeding champ, and we had no problems at all.    

Bright and early Monday morning, we'll be heading over to the hospital for Reed to undergo a tongue-tie release procedure.  The procedure itself is pretty minor - just a snipping of the frenum.  If Reed was an infant, the procedure would have been done in office.  But since he's 4 years old and not apt to let strangers stick sharp metal objects in his mouth, he'll be under general anesthesia (the scary part for Momma!).

Please keep our sweet Reed in your thoughts and prayers Monday morning!

UPDATE:  Reed is back home from surgery!  The procedure went well and he's resting now.  Still a little groggy from the anesthesia.  Thank you for the prayers!

Mary Ellen 

My (Not So) Extreme Couponing

A few months ago, I started couponing again after having not done so for about a year.  My approach is very relaxed - only non-food items and only focus on the deals at one store.  Harris Teeter is currently having a triple coupon promotion.  Yesterday, was the first day of the event.  I stopped in before work to pick up some cleaning, HBA and household items.

I bought the following pictured above:

3 Palmolive Soft Touch dish detergents

3 Dawn dish detergents

3 Bounty single roll paper towels

3 Electrasol dishwasher tabs

1 Speedstick deo

1 Colgate toothpaste 

1 Always maxi

3 Carefree liners   

2 Halls sugar free cough drops (for my Mom)

Total oop: $19.75

Total sales & coupon savings: $40.00

Certainly not extreme, but saving on these items frees up money within the grocery budget for the local and organic meats and produce we buy.  Every little bit helps in this time of rising grocery prices!

Swamp People

I know "reality" TV is not everyone's cup of tea.  But recently, I've taken a liking to one reality show - Swamp People.  It's definitely not Real Housewives!  But it fascinates me much like Deadliest Catch or Hoarders.  I found the show flipping through channels one Thursday night, and have been watching ever since.  The show follows alligator hunters in the bayou during the month long gator hunting season.  Interesting stories and interesting people.  Like the Guist brothers who grew up learning how to live off the swamp.   



A new episode of Swamp People airs tonight on the History Channel at 9 PM Eastern.
And no, I wasn't paid by The History Channel or Swamp People for this post!  Just an off-beat post on a slow Thursday.

And because Swamp People always brings to mind this song, I'll leave you with some Jerry Reed!

Jerry Reed - Amos Moses

God Bless The Child

My experimentation with hairstyles continues.  Quite by accident (or laziness!), I happened upon my latest style.  One night I was a bit too tired to put in my curling flexi-rods.  The next morning, my hair was an absolute mess!  So, I brushed it into an updo.  And made two small rolls in front with my bangs.  Added a flower clip a la Lady Day.  A quick and easy style for work! 

Today would have been Billie Holiday's 96th birthday.  God bless the child!