yesterday, we had a family bbq hollywood-style... in honor of my cousin aaron, who was in town (very briefly)... from nyu film school/tisch.  he is a brilliant writer and is currently getting ready to film and direct a festival movie (the kind they show at cannes, etc.) out on cape cod. unfortunately, i declined the part he wrote especially for me... i mean look, i am just way to busy working street markets and garage sailing to participate.  you'll be happy to know, madonna wasn't busy, and was willing to take my part!

i purposely forgot to bring whip cream for the homemade gluten-free blueberry cobbler, that i made.  so acting like middle-aged high school girls... we climbed in the car and went to the local kroger store.

it was more of a "get noticed and look at us" adventure.  i planned this, because i knew we wouldn't know anyone.  not to mention, it was a blast!

aunt janet came dressed as hedy lemarr. 

her husband came as desi arnez. 

both such good sports!

check out these beautiful potted flowers, that my cousin put together. breath-taking!

my cousin carey grant... who is a financing major, atlas shrugged genius and is right on the mark with economics and government (he's who i go to for government, economic and political advice and words i don't know how to pronounce!), he made eggrolls. love that boy... he never gets tired of my ignorant questions (at least i think he doesn't.)

his mom is to the left and aaron the up and coming director... next to her.

my cousin (brag:  doctor, breast cancer survivor, bird-ology guru and wildly creative) and i entertained the family, by making big bubbles.  not all families are as talented as us....bubbles have a mind of their own.  just like my 13 year old son. 

all of the tattoo's i wore, were fake.  found them at the dollar store.  tommie wrote, lady gaga... on my back.

lady gaga taking a break... note the natural-i-don't-know you're-taking-my-picture pose.  truth is... i overdosed on potato salad and couldn't move.

my aunt joyce as laverne, steve martin, conehead, me and george clooney.

our friend lou who came as a cher groupie.

my mom a.k.a marilyn monroe and my uncle bill, share a deep conversation!  wonder what it was about?!

really bad blurry picture... but i stuck it in here anyway.  my second dad, came as john wayne... cowboy boots, big buckle and cowboy hat.

hope you enjoyed our hollywood bbq party.

we are so very blessed to be together and make happy memories.  i love my family so much, that i get a lump in my throat.

on a dark, spring day, i stopped at an estate-type yard sale.  off the beaten track, on a lonely country road. looking down and looking down again... i opened an old musty box to find.... a pile of better homes and gardens (1940's) magazines... for a dollar each.
seriously now, do i even need to tell you how fast i snatched these up?  

there are a bazillion adorable, vintage ads, like these.... 

i'm not exactly sure, what i should do with them?  frame them, i'm thinking.  in a banged up old frame. 

what would you do?

you're welcome to cut and paste and print and use these images... i'd love to hear what you plan to do with them!

smile, wink, nod.

can't get any easier or any cheaper then this...

i had this lacy-type tin tray... which i adored... but didn't adore the rust marks... so, when i spotted this mirror, at local goodwill.... (4 quarters) !

 i (badda-bing!) had a plan....

a two-second glue job and viola' ...

a new piece to hang on my wall-of-mirrors!

do tell............ what have you upcylced, lately?

happy birthday, america!

we love you!

(picture taken off my mom's boat.. hence, on the water!)

GaRdEn Art (letter A)

 garden artwork!

this sunday afternoon, found me in my white rocking chair, under the apple tree... using my hands to create this "tea time" wind-chime!

it's sort of cute here, but in real life, it's very cute!

i found a bag of tea tins, at local goodwill, for .99 cents.  the colander for a quarter and i already had glass beads in my junk cupboard.

yesterday, i found a bag of these (above) spice tins... a dime a piece, at a garage sale, 'round the corner.

can you guess, what i'll be doing with them?

smile, wink, nod.

i'm up for an "abc" blog challenge... so, starting tomorrow, july 2nd, i'll begin  26-day's of "all things garden!" have a garden girlfriend?  invite her, along!  for tonight though, let me share this fantaubulous piece of the web! click here...  flea market garden!

tune in tomorrow, for the letter, A."

sweet baby jane... would you look at what's made in america?

cupcake paper inserts!

has it really come down to this?  you know, when we do a double-take (or triple) when we see

 "made in the u.s.a." in print?

my eyes grew big and bigger yet..  i reached for my camera... i read those RARE words:  made in u.s.a. 

thanks, betty crocker... for keeping the baking industry-related jobs..  in the united states! 

 here's a list of more betty crocker products made on our good old american soil:

betty crocker.. made in america!



there honestly is nothing better then a homegrown juicy, drip down your chin, sweet strawberry.

this is our first year, growing them.

my man (pictured in the third photo) planted 50 plants. 

we don't have a high-yield of them just yet.. (afterall, it is their fist year in our soil) ...

however, there is just enough to pluck off the plant, pop the whole thing in your mouth and skip around the field... singing...

 tra-la-la-la-la with. 

well, it's actually me who skips around the field, barefoot and singing way off key.

smile, wink, nod.

and tra-la-la-la-la.

little hot pink shoes!

i lost consciousness, when i spotted these sweet babies at a local thrift shop.  inhaling and exhaling--only long enough to ask the clerk to see them, for they were positioned perfectly and out of reach behind the counter.... you know...  where all the high-end, haughty-taughty, not your everyday pricey merchandise is.  she joyfully said, yes.  yes indeed, i could. 

my blue eyes spotted the label.  although i am not label driven.  i did smile when i saw they were diesels. i smiled even more.. looking and feeling the hot pink satin fabric. with a chinese flavor.  well made.

carefully, i searched the size.  my heart beating stronger... faster.  biting my bottom lip and remembering to fully exhale... i slipped on the right one. nice. then the left.  dreamy.  soft.. much like an uncooked marshmallow.  squishy. only not sticky.  no, in fact.. they were very clean.

clean used shoes. and they were in my future.

i'll be honest here.  it was the end of a double market day for me.  i had been on the pavement, braving the elements of the weather, since 6 am.. the thrift store clock said 9:30.  i don't need to tell you, that i looked a little rough.  okay, a lot rough.  i must of had a slight whine to my voice, when i said, "$15." because the plucky clerk, quickly interjected... "oh, but they're 33% off, tonight." 

i exhaled and smiled.

as i drove north.. homeward bound, with my locks blowing in the wind.. and carly simon's c.d. playing full blast, i fell even more in love, with my little hot pink shoes sitting beside me on the passenger's seat.

i'm not sure if i was just tired... but, i'm believe i heard the little hot pink shoes look over and whisper, "thank-you."

smile, wink, nod.

getting personal friday!

things i use everyday....

• black eyeliner pencil
• auburn lip liner pencil
• estee' lauder heavy duty concealer
• big fat little brush
• aussie conditioner
• garnier xxl mousse
• aramis (i don't use it... i just open the lid and inhale... smells just like my dad! a.k.a. hug in a bottle!)
• sea breeze for sensitive skin
• mango-mandarin body lotion
• emeraude perfume (i don't wear this... i just open the lid and i can smell my grandma! also known to me as "a hug in a bottle!)
• paul mitchell freeze and shine hairspray

so, there you have it... what sort of things can you NOT live without?

six markets in eight days.

one murder mystery for 20 women.

and one huge bbq party for father's day.

yes-sir-eee...that's how i've been spending the last week or so.

not complaining. 

not at all.

  i live for this.

i won't exhaust you with the nitty-gritty details...

the pictures speak for themselves:

concluding:

 the customers are colorful.  the other artists are really enjoyable and the production company is crazy-fun to work with.

smile, wink, nod.

(i've mislplaced my digiital camera... has anyone seen it?)

i've been picking up old tin's like these, at yard sales and thrift shops...  had tommie drill a few holes in the bottom... then i filled them with rich soil. 

inhabiting the tins.... basil and oregano.

they've been traveling with me, to different farmer's markets.

the customer's are flipping over them!

$10 and lower, depending on the size.

i keep my herb tin, next to our grill... and when i'm bbq-ing... i toss a few petals in..for good measure and good smell!

this week found me at five different markets.  i am beginning to feel like a circus traveler.  not that that's a bad thing... i am truly loving the gypsy life.  wink.

this week at the markets, i bartered: asparagus and strawberries.

smile.

so, what about anthony wiener resigning?

maybe he should change his last name, while he's at it.

nod.

thumb's up for local farmers!

this week finds me on the road, attending different farmer market's in the upscale county, due south of us.  oh! how i've missed the farmer's market life.  there's just something about farmer's and the depth they have.  i love their rough-calloused hands, embedded with soil, their farmer's tans    i love their work boots.  i love their stories. and, their work ethics.  

i'm not a fan of NPR radio.. but i do agree with one story that i heard... that farmer's are the smartest people in the world.  why?  because most are self-educated in:

farm accounting

mechanics

veterinarian

meteorology

electricity

chemistry

building

and more, i'm sure.

 if you have the choice, buy from your local farmer or farmer's market.  strike up a good conversation and notice their hard-working hands.

i appreciate all they do.

smile, wink, nod.

i just wrapped up reading the true story, "amish grace."  amish i'm not.. but i sure do like their beliefs. thumbs up... find it if you can!  i recently found annie jones' , "sisterhood of the queen mama's!"  sounds like a really fun summer read...and get this... it's about flea market friends!  tonight, i'll slither down under the blankets and get started reading it!

i splurged today... finally got my hands on a three-disc louis armstrong c.d.  nothing like classic jazz, a glass of white wine and my patio... at the end of a summer day. 

do tell... what book is in your hands right now? 

smile, wink, nod.

i couldn't pass this by!

i found it at our local goodwill for $3.

i'm thinking it will make walks in the rain, even more fun.

plus, it matches my wellingtons.

my heart feels as heavy as a cement block.  i'm not sure how many more losses, this old heart can take.  i sure did love my lucy.

smile, wink, nod.

today my dog died in my arms.

she was 17 years old.

i held her as the vet put her at peace.

and kissed her until her final breath.

i loved her and always will.

so long, my best friend.

you were the best.

through my tears.... smile, wink, nod.

let's go for a little walk around my flower gardens...

ugly, tacky and funky... retro vacation souvenir plates... if you frequent thrift shops, you've surely seen them.  i started collecting these two years ago and look forward to displaying them in my herb garden, each spring.

when fall comes, i pluck them up, give them a good washing and use them off and on throughout the winter time. they're always a hit when i have company over...who wouldn't love to eat from a plate that says montana?  or disney world?  wink.

have a happy thursday!

(below:  not thinking, i went to put my sunglasses on and poked myself in the eye.)  ouch.



first things first...
i'm thrilled to have my laptop back... which is where it's at.... at the moment.  on my lap.  i'm typing from my bed.  the fans blowing on me, on this sweltering michigan night.  current michele-conditions: dopey.  this morning at 5 am, i woke with severe tummy pains.  all over my entire abdominal area... north, south, east and west... and everywhere in between.  the pain was insane.  i went to the emergency room.  4 hours of testing, 4 shots of morphine to control the intense pain, a relaxing cat scan, blood work... revealed all is well internally.  the e.r. doctor chalked it up to food poisoning. let's see....... what did i eat last night for dinner?  a tomato-herb salad, corn on the cob with herb butter, and strawberries.  and a handful or two of ritz whole wheat crackers.  i am feeling much better... the pain is not nearly as bad... but i am groggy and sleep easily.  again... it's probably the morphine in my system.... 

i'm happy to say, that i thoroughly enjoyed the historical fiction, nefertiti.  never in my wildest dreams, did i think ancient egyptian history could captivate me.  so much in fact, i find myself missing the characters. if you get a chance... it's worth requesting from the library.  next up... amish grace... here's a quick link, in case the title intrigues you:  amish grace. 

this past week, i also found myself disappointed when my rented dvd from netflix of, "the duchess," was over.  how can you not be held hostage during that film?  the scenery.  the costumes, the fine, fine acting. not to mention the unthinkable true story line. i feel like renting it again, just to watch the dresses, jewelry, hair styles and gardens.  it was simply lovely.

well my friends, my eyelids are droopy and so i'm signing off, for tonight.

gosh.  it's nice to be back blogging.

smile, wink, nod.

sunday night update:

my computer is still in the shop.  i hope to have it back tomorrow, so i can get back to some serious blogging...   smile, wink, nod.