four sides of neutral bamboo landscape everything all the time handbag

Upcycled calendar makes a pretty landscape.



Neutral bamboo growing on this side.





This handbag is ready to go on cyber-Monday. It's $44.00 US. Plus shipping and handling.

hollyhock pocketbook

Four sides of the hollyhock pocketbook everything all the time handbag in chocolates and pinks makes me smile. You too?

Mom Sends the Message

After a very long hiatus, I'm back. It just took something BIG to get me going. Something to turn my blog around and push it forward. This is it.




Join Mom Sends the Message and pledge to drive with your mind on the wheel. It could be life changing. No text, phone call, coffee sip, or dropped toy is worth more than my life. Or yours.

promise

I made a deal with Russell this weekend. A deal I wish someone had made with me. The deal is: if Russell stops biting his nails and actually needs them trimmed with clippers for 6 months straight, I promise to give him $100. Russell is 15. $100 is a lot of money. Especailly if you are 15. I used to bite my nails. I stopped around my 15 birthday. Nobody gave me $100. I don't even know how I stopped. It was a habit. Often you need to replace one habit with another. But, I did it. I grew my nails long. I thought they were pretty. I have re-thought that. Long nails have no appeal to me now. None at all. Mine are short now. And unpolished. Between dishes and painting, lacing handbags and typing, my fingernails are a little less than ideal. My toes on the other hand...or foot, as the case may be, are painted in the summer. I found, what is to me, the perfect color. I love this color so much I've bought a second bottle. My friend and hairdresser hates it. Hates it. How do I know? She told me. I would expect nothing less. We argued about it. The color I mean. I guess the argument ended as we agreed to disagree. Color is subjective. What makes me swoon, might not make you swoon. And that's alright. Pick a color you love. Pick a color that makes you smile. Pick a color that is ALL you. It will be perfect. I promise.

smitten with the mitten

Smitten with the mitten. That's what I am. Especially in the summer. I know there are plenty of beautiful, friendly, amazing places to live. I am a born and raised Michigan girl. If you are from Michigan, you will undoubtedly use your hand to explain where you are from while traveling. Even if you are from the Upper Pennisula. This summer, friends that are not from Michigan, are joining us on the outside of the pinky's fingernail; it's my favorite part. Sometimes it looks like this:
And even this:

As much as I love Michigan, the reason I love it so much is that my people are here. And I'm smitten with them, too.

I'm thinking about getting these. I wonder if anyone will share them with me? In the winter, when I need to remember how much I truly am smitten with the mitten. They are pretty and probably cozy. A lot like Michigan.

Though, they look more like Libya. Go ahead and look. I've saved you the trip.

wordless wednesday

the quest for the perfect stool (trust me)

I watch Oprah. Not everyday. But, I watch Oprah. I watch when Dr. Oz is her guest. I love Dr. Oz. He has great information. And he brings disgusting props for Oprah to hold in her orchid purple gloved hands. Doctors on television may be invaluable to a nation that does not provide healthcare to ALL it's citizens. Outside of the emergency room. But this post isn't about that. So I'll leave that alone. Dr. Oz and others are able to reach and teach about better food choices, the benefits of eating a little 100% whole wheat bread before a meal, how to use a neti pot, your omentum and why you should care about it and the perfect stool. He stresses the importance of the "S" shaped stool. It is an indicator of good health. But, this post isn't about that either. I know. Thank goodness.

It's about another stool. The stool I've been on a quest to find. It had to be taller than a standard chair (17") but shorter than a standard barstool ( 29"). Then it needed to fit my aesthetic; a hybrid of Asian and shabby chic meeting classic and bold. And then, it needed to fit into what I teach my boys is the "good value rule". Which is, what we would be willing to pay for something before we know what the seller is asking. Would you believe I found it? Yep, 29 bucks and it was mine. And blue. Deep water blue. It's not "S" shaped but, I'm feeling fine about it just the same.

So last night I decide to post about my good fortune and wouldn't you know it Alison at http://www.cluckandtweet.com/2009/07/stools.html writes about " stools". Today. What are the chances? You should read what she has to say on the matter. She's hilarious. Trust me.