Movie Induced Naps

I had to watch a movie for class this week. The quality was poor. I had a hard time understanding what was said. The plot could have been told in three minutes. And was. The last three minutes of the movie. I actually fell asleep in the middle of it. Now I need to write four pages on what I got from the movie. I have been thinking about it now for three days. I think maybe I am just ready for school to be done and my brain has shut down.

Falling alseep at home while watching a movie is one thing, but have you ever fallen asleep in the middle of the movie you were watching at the theater? I admit, I have one movie on that list. Tin Cup, Kevin Costner. Man, it was boring.

What's yours?

Normal Girl

Salt and Pepper

This is my Mom's salt and pepper shaker collection. I think she started collecting when she got married 54 years ago. So, most of these pairs are from the 50s and 60s. Really retro. I entertained myself for awhile looking at them last night. I might entertain myself more this weekend. They are a crack up. By Dad's best count, there are 130 pair, but he admits to having several different counts.

Mom is ready to sell them and is deciding how to do it. She has not had them displayed for many years and has not added to the collection in many more years than that. She would love to sell them as a collection. I am guessing someone out there would love that. The thought of packing up all of them seems daunting.

So, I took pics of some of the funniest (in my opinion) of the bunch. Do they even make salt and pepper shakers like these any more? This is one really long pig. Salt shakes out of the heinie and pepper out of the head. She has another one like this, I think it is a dog.

Awwww, the dancing couple.

The super retro birdies.

The lipstick wearing cowboy. Salt comes out of the cowboy and pepper out of the horse. He gets off the horse for that to happen.

I think these big eyed brown owls are my favorites, although I admit that I wonder why the man owl is wearing an apron.

Baby kangas in the pouch.

How funny is this weenie dog?

Yeah. I guess we were not PC in the 50s.

Baby giraffes are cute. She has two sets of giraffes. Must have been trendy.

Salt comes out of the driving dog and pepper out of the car. He gets out of the car.

Any body out there have funny old collections of anything?

Normal Girl

New Products You Can't Live Without?

I like watching the new product info in case I find something I can't live without and so I can be the first on my block to get the latest and greatest. This is what I am talking about! The disco shower baby! Oo Oo!! Complete with light show, who doesn't want to disco down while bathing?
Self drying dish. Ummmm. Aren't all dishes self drying? I guess this one is special because it can stand up on its own. Just in case your dish rack is too full. It can stand up on the countertop. It should be called the self standing dish. Weird.

When you have a guest and you ask her what she would like to drink and she says, "anything" or "whatever," now you can be ready. What do you think it tastes like, Mrs. Smartypants?

The stress sensing watch. It monitors your "well being waves." Really. Needing a watch to tell you that you are stressed? Do we really have "well being waves"? I think the bags under my eyes tell me the same thing without the cost of some high tech watch.

Buying anything yet?

Normal Girl

Salad Heaven

I know how you like to meet the new loves of my life. Here is the latest. I found a bottle of this in The Human PinBall's fridge last week. It is so good, I practically had to fight The Diplomat for it. If you like blue cheese, You. Need. This. Not kidding, it is really good.

One of my fav recipes is drizzling balsamic vinaigrette over fresh green beans. I add some walnuts and some blue cheese crumbles. I could eat pounds. I am trying this instead of plain balsamic vinaigrette. Gonna be good!

Besides drinking it right from the bottle, do you have any ideas for using it?

Normal Girl

Wrapping Up the Week

Well, almost two weeks actually. I have had twelve gift days and I am wrapping it all up to take home with me. I hope that each of you are able to find 12 days some time, that soothe you and recharge you both. I am headed home feeling very blessed for so many reasons:

• sunshine...there were a couple days, even though I was the only person on the beach not wearing a coat, it felt great to me
• thunderstorm...love a good loud, wall shaking thunderstorm!

• friends...true ones who love me even when I am stupid or crabby or both...who are inspiring and model the things I want to be when I grow up
• Leftovers. Paula Queen cooked enough for me to eat for a week. I have gained 30 pounds and it was great!
• My professor...who told me this week that I cannot write, and I should learn that skill since it is required of a grad student (ahhh, she does know that this is my last class in the program)...later that day she posted how sick she got when she came home from her trip, so I hope that was the fever talking. But after my initial freak/panic/paranoia, I realized that there is a big lesson here about encouraging vs. discouraging and if I ever teach, I will remember it. And I do have a friend who want to slap her for being mean to me. Weirdly, that encourages me.

• God's other creatures. At home in Michigan, there are not many pelican or dolphin sightings. I saw lots of both here.
• Art...God's and ours. Sometime if you are able, be sure to sit on the beach and watch the sunrise. Breathtaking.
• Chick-Fil-A. Oh yeah, I heart you.

• Divine encouragement...walking the beach each day, talking to God, sometimes in tears, and the tangible gifts of encouragement He put in my path. How amazing is a sand dollar? Has anyone ever seen one alive? When I came home and did some research (what of it? I like to know stuff) I found they grow to be about 3" in diameter. My big one is 4 1/2 inches. That's an overachieving sand dollar.

• Bead Stores...I found three locally, none big, but managed to dig up a few treasures with inspiration to take home. Pretty, right? I have a plan.
• Spending a lot of money that is not mine. It is kind of fun once I get past the initial shock. Worked some hours at night on a big project that requires a lot of materials to be purchased.
• The Red Box. I do not know who the brilliant mind is behind this, but I would like to shake his hand. Be his friend. Maybe marry him, he has to have made a lot of money from this idea. Wish I had thought of it # 87665. Do you do the Red Box?
• The Human PinBall who has taken me into her family and treats me as such. She has even offered me a kid to take care of me in my old age.

Packing and heading back to the city today.

Sigh,

Normal Girl

The Breast Things in Life are Free

I admit this is a weird post for me, but there are some interesting tidbits here. I got this from my friend Alyssa Milano. I follow her on Twitter. She has won some awards for tweeting and always has interesting stuff. Yes, I know, weird again.

You never know when you can use some obscure fact to wow someone else. Try it and let me know what happens,

Normal Girl

Inside the Mind of an ADD Ad Writer

Have you seen this ad? It made me laugh at the end of a kind of discouraging day.

Do they have Old Spice for Girls? I could use some.

I'm on a horse,

Normal Girl

Sunday Morning Service

I had my praise and worship service here this morning. Wished you were all here to sing with me!

There is no other Artist like this One.

Normal Girl

Day 3 New Smyrna Beach We Have Painted Our Fingers to the Bone Art Retreat

The Barbaras, East and West enjoying the beach!

Today was jewelry making day. We really cranked 'em out. We all brought charms to give to each other for our commemorative bracelets. They will be a fun memory that we can wear to remember.

We also did a wire wrapping project. It was very easy and fun to see how the projects turn out so differently.








The Diplomat made this one using old jewelry pieces of her Mother's. It is beautiful and will be a special piece for her.

Paula Queen cooked for us every meal. She can cook!

We painted more last night. These collage canvases were made by decoupaging paper and then doing some painting over it.

If you are following trends, you can see the bird theme is still happening. At least at the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Art Retreat.

Tomorrow, the girls head back to Dallas, Kansas City, Richmond, San Francisco and Orlando. It has been total R&R for us and we are planning the next one!

Normal Girl