How did this happen??? I was doing so well…taking MY OWN ADVICE and trying all these beauty products…I am on a First Name basis with the CVS and Walgreen beauty counter specialists (that's what their name card said!). Also using Arbonne products, which are FAB! And everything I used was working wonders…But, alas….all the creams in the world can only DO SO MUCH! Age does take its toll! Going nonstop for several weeks on end…can even do MOI in! Running from work to try to manage all the impending volunteer commitments leaves one little time for rest! Setting up for the Thrift House holiday opening last Sunday, following the Art Center's Holiday opening last Friday, caused concern from a fellow Thrift House volunteer. She turned to MOI as we were fighting over a Prada dress (we both wear the same size) and said that she had NEVER seen MOI looking so fatigued, including BAGS under my eyes (of course, they are ALWAYS there, I do an AMAZING job of concealing them!!). MON DIEU! What is a woman to do??! HEAD RIGHT OUT AND BUY MORE PRODUCT!!!! I did try to get more sleep on one day last week! But, preparing for the Thanksgiving feast always calls for a LATE NIGHT on Wednesday or is that an early a.m. on Thanksgiving??!! So looking forward to relaxing over the weekend….only to discover that I had to work all weekend!!
Not PLANNING to work all weekend-if I had KNOWN that I had to work all weekend, I would have SAID SOMETHING! But then that's the CODE! We all know the CODE..that is Don't tell your Mother or Don't tell your Father or in this case, Don't tell PAULA! With a successful opening of our Winter Arts and Crafts Expo, I had said that I would work the Friday after Thanksgiving, since the Art Center is normally closed! ANYTHING for a sale!! That retail spirit returns!! The Art Center was only closed for Thanksgiving and the Friday, so I ASSUMED that I would really only have to work on Friday, since the weekend staff would take over on Saturday and Sunday! Just one little problemo….the regular weekend staff receptionist was off for the holiday and the NEW receptionist would be there for the entire weekend…FUNNY, how that LKF (little known fact), somehow didn't get mentioned to MOI-Another CODE!!
Things were going well on Friday, I arrived opened up, the NEW receptionist arrived to work the register, which is a computerized affair. The only thing I hadn't counted on was that the NEW Receptionist thought she was there to help MOI as back-up! MON DIEU! We both had a "moment" when we realized that each of us thought we were doing the other's job!!! She said that she would need me there as back-up for the ENTIRE weekend!! Now granted, we were only open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon-4 p.m on Sunday…but still….when is one to prepare for the Holidays??!! Those outdoor containers take time to make!! Not to mention everything else! But hey, that's what the paycheck is for!! I mentally went down the list of everything I could push off to next week, and we were good to go!! We actually were busy, so it worked out well that I was there! Since I was check out back up, I was chief wrapper! It made me a bit nervous wrapping all these lovely glass and ceramic pieces….but, I did my best and focused on the task at hand! A few errors with the Credit Card machine were solved by MOI! Those years of Retail come in handy!!! I decided to add a "festive" air to the event and donned several different Christmas Tree Skirts over the weekend! They were made of fleece and not only festive, but warm!!!! They are actually quite versatile…first as a shawl and later in the day as an actual skirt! Who knows, it may be the next big hit on the runways!! If the "poodle skirt" ever comes back!! I will be prepared!
Having so many hours to spend and not able to actually go to my office to do work, I decided to SHOP the Expo. There are some very chic fiber accessories! This woman is not only an artist, but a fashionista!! I LOVE THIS! She has made this scarf like thing out of very cool yarns and it looks like a necklace…I know I am not describing it very well, but when you put it on-it looks very FAB! She also makes a scarf for your winter coat which is like a "Dickie." Again, very cool! It just fits around your neck and doesn't add any bulk…what's not to like!! Some terrific jewelry too! Love the bracelets and rings!! Not too many cuff's-maybe they are hard to make?? Fabulous antique beaded necklaces and a selection of Ikebana containers…I am good to go! AND to top it all off, very fun notecards!! Truly, I can save the time that I would spend at the shopping malls buying presents and buy everything at the Art Center! But, here's the thing….most of the folks that I buy presents for-LOVE to get those gift cards and I can get those at the grocery store!!! Soooooo, I guess I am shopping for MOI!
Dear Friend, Roxanne Boerke shares these wonderful tips!
She is taking Flower Arranging classes at New Trier extension from Michael (Chicago School of Flower Design). These classes include Hand Tied Bouquets! Who knew-right here in our own back yard!! They look wonderful!!! http://www.newtrier.k12.il.us
Floral design is under arts and crafts in the catalog!
And here is Roxanne's info on Discounts while shopping on line!!
You asked how to get a discount while shopping on line. google search ie, "macys.com coupons". (website address -space- coupons) i am amazed at the discounts i can find. they are not always available and it may take some searching through what google lists or trying the coupon on the check out page (usually a box titled promotion code or coupon). it is so satisfying when they work! i found myself doing a lot of this when i had 2 babies at home. also, be sure to check out your favorite sites on cyber monday, there should be plenty of discounts out there.
there are also coupon websites where you can enter your store and a coupon may pop up. some of those are: Savings.com, Shoppersresource.com, Couponwinner.com, Promotionalcode.com, and Webcouponcodes.com.
Thank you Roxanne!! This is information we can all use!!!!
You can also join online Sample Sale sites:
www.Gilt.com
www.Hautelook.com
www.Ideeli.com
and www.shopstyle.com lets you do a really refined search and has a ton of great stores in it's network!
And for all your HOLIDAY Glamour! Buy a clutch! So many to choose from and at so many price points!!! Anyone will do! Check out Forever 21!!!! www.sondraroberts.com has great clutches too!
Check out Simply Vera at Kohl's-she does a nice job with satin items and a Faux Fur silver cropped coat is FAB!!!!
As we all know-keep the bling to a one focal point-bracelets, necklace or fab earrings…but, don't wear them all together! This website has some great bracelets and earrings!!! And love the price point!!
http://www.richrocksnyc.com/index.html
Will try to find the perfect holiday cookie recipe for next week or send MOI your favorite!!
Let the Holiday's begin!!
XO,
P
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Hand Tied Bouquets!
What a week, not one, but TWO floral arranging seminars featuring Hand Tied Bouquets!! And then on the news, a segment on the School of Floral Design….Does it truly get any better than this??!! Paula Pryke of London Fame, breezed into town to give an unbelievable 2+ hour demonstration on all her techniques of flower arranging. She started with variations on Hand Tied Bouquets making it look easier than making lanyards!!! I know that when I was a camp counselor, I did know how to make a lanyard, but I do believe I struggled with that. AND here was Paula, just throwing these incredible bouquets together that were GINORMOUS…I was sitting in the back, so I couldn't see the size of her hand, but they looked fairly normal sized..so I was in total awe and amazement as she whipped these flowers into visions of loveliness and all in the palm of her hand. She said that it was easy to do with a bit of practice. However, MOI knows better!! Ikebana looks easy too…..but, you just try finding the right branch!
So, it was with continued amazement that I attended my Ikebana International meeting today to view yet another demonstration of Hand Tied Bouquets. Our guest demonstrator was a faculty member from the American School of Flower Arranging (yes, we are stealing from the Brits!). He made a large array of Hand Tie Bouquet arrangements and each one was a bit different. He made small ones and attached them to a wreath. He made large ones in clear vases that he covered with this wire mesh wrapping material that you can get a Michaels…He used colored wire to create a kenzan in a clear vase and then put the Hand Tied Bouquet in that. Tied it up with a wire bow from CostCo! He also used these little cubes that you soak in water and then put them in a clear vase. You add cranberries and they sort of float in the clear cubes (think gelatin) and then here is the best thing…you can buy these little votive lights called, eco-lights, that can be turned on and SUBMERGED in the jello-cranberry mixture. I mean TRULY…does it get any better than this??!! Paula also had some tricks up her sleeve using CROTON leaves on outside of a clear vase and tied it with wire. She said they would last up to 4 days. CROTON leaves have great color, so you can use them for many occasions! You can fill the vases with a variety of flowers-very FESTIVE!!!
It was such good fortune to see two excellent demonstrations in less than four days knowing that I will probably never be able to master this type of flower arranging!!! I did speak to the fellow from the American School of Flower Arranging and asked if I could just take a class in Hand Tied Bouquets and he said YES! So stay tuned Chi-town readers and I will let you know when the next class is being held!! Well worth it!!!!!
Of course, attending the Ikebana meeting always brings with it memories of living in Japan and trying to keep a part of that experience alive in my current life! NOT SO SIMPLE!! The meeting was in a suburb, an hour from home, so that means two hours of driving time. Of course, I truly couldn't believe that it was really an hour away, so I left late, but arrived just in time for LUNCH! I had to take the last open seat, which meant that I didn't get to sit by dear friend, Janet Knowlton, who is living in the Chicago area. We were friends in Tokyo and also at Ikebana International. She went on to live all over the world, but has now landed in Chi-Town. (I am sure the highlight of all her destinations!!) It is fun to see her after 15 years! The demonstration and meeting lasted 4 hours, so Janet and I waved to each other. You know, this WAS my life in Tokyo, when you felt like you had accomplished something if you did ONE thing a day…But, this is my current life and I need to do 15 things a day… the people in the group are lovely…but, Janet and I both looked at each other and said..THIS IS SO NOT FITTING WITH OUR LIVES!!!!
It is the love of Ikebana that brings people together, but trying to make it a part of your life is something else!
And doesn't that seem the mantra lately…THIS IS SO NOT FITTING WITH OUR LIVES!! It usually appears during the beginning of the holiday season! You have all these things that you need to do and hope that people will help you and they are in the same boat and decide to bail on you!! The funny thing is that, what you had signed up to do is still there!! YIKES!! I can usually handle my own volunteer commitments, but this season, it seems more than ever, the need is greater. Perhaps it is the economy, maybe it is an excuse for some. I am not sure, but I must be on the speed dial of those groups that need help, since the phone keeps ringing!!! But, that is what all-nighters are for!!! I love it when the young people come to work looking like they pulled an all-nighter…and guess what they did!! I tell them that I can RELATE!!!!
Attended a Fashion seminar on "Your Image in times of FLUX!" It wasn't for the Fashion Forward, but still some great ideas to share:
1. Hone your people skills, conversational arts and emotional intelligence. What is that?? This was a term I wasn't that familiar with, but in times of FLUX it is important to know what to think! Here's a definition from Wikipedia and if this isn't clear, click on the link for an entire discourse and see if it is any clearer!!!!
Emotional Intelligence (EI), often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes an ability, capacity, skill or (in the case of the trait EI model) a self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups. It is a relatively new area of psychological research. The definition of EI is constantly changing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence
Shop SALES!! (Tell us something WE don't know!)
Use coupon websites: www.ebates.com, www.wow-coupons.com (you can let MOI know about these)
Expand your global network, internally and externally-Facebook here we come!
Add Accessories!
And advice for the Fashion Forward! Buy a Capelet!
They are everywhere in all price points (try to buy one on SALE)! They are cable knit and faux-fur trimmed (what I bought-bien sur!). It looks best with a pencil skirt or jeans. And be sure to wear Pointy-toed shoes!!!!!
In case you missed last week's lipstick fest in the NYTimes-here you go!!
By ELLEN TIEN
Published: November 7, 2008
As the economy crumbles, the Lipstick Index — that frivolous financial barometer that says cosmetics sales rise in direct relation to free-falling finances — has jumped. Sales in the last few months are up 40 percent. Here are 41 of fall's most popular pick-me-ups, from $1.99 to over $50. What do women want when they aren't allowed to want too much? Traditional lipsticks in more-sheer neutral shades; the bright reds of days gone by have been replaced by pinky browns and rosy taupes.
Top row, from left to right:
1. Benefit Full-Finish lipstick in Ladies' Choice, $18 at benefitcosmetics.com.
2. Sisley Hydrating long-lasting lipstick No. L17, $55 at Neiman Marcus stores.
3. Vincent Longo Lipstain SPF lipstick in Americana, $23 at vincentlongo.com.
4. Pur Minerals lipstick in Raspberry Quartz, $15 at Ulta stores.
5. Shiseido Perfecting lipstick in P13, $22.50 at sephora.com.
6. Mark Dew Drenched Moisturlicious lip color in Pretty Posey, $6 at meetmark.com.
7. Jane Iredale PureMoist LipColour in Melisa, $19 at Vert in Los Angeles, (310) 581-6126.
8. Josie Maran lipstick in Rumi Joon, $20 at barneys.com.
9. MAC lipstick in Viva Glam VI, $14 at maccosmetics.com.
10. Clinique Long Last Soft Shine lipstick in Bamboo Pink, $14 at clinique .com.
11. Avon Beyond Color Plumping lip color in Divine Wine, $8 at avon .com.
12. Dior Addict High Shine lipstick in Casual Beige, $25 at Bloomingdale's stores.
13. Mally Beauty lipstick in Zooey Doll, $15 at henribendel.com.
14. Origins Smileage Plus Organic Liptint in Vintage, $11 at origins.com.
15. Nars lipstick in Dolce Vita, $24 at narscosmetics.com.
16. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty in Plum Shimmer, $9.99 at Duane Reade stores.
17. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Crème Matte lipstick in Red 165M, $23 at shuuemura-usa.com.
18. DuWop Prime Venom nude lip plumping balm and primer, $20 at Sephora.
19. Michael Marcus lipstick in Jenifer, $24 at michaelmarcus.com.
20. N.Y.C. New York Color Ultra Last LipWear in Brandy Sparkle, $1.99 at Wal-Mart stores.
21. Sue Devitt lipstick in Zimbabwe, $20 at Barneys New York.
Bottom row, from left to right:
22. Bobbi Brown lip color in Brown, $22 at bobbibrowncosmetics.com.
23. By Terry Rouge Delectation lipstick in Icy Praline, $41 at Barneys New York stores.
24. Jouer Lip Color in Phoebe, $22 at Henri Bendel in New York, (800) 423-6335.
25. Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Coffee Shimmer, $4.95 at CVS stores.
26. Ramy lipstick in Ramy Red, $17 at ramybeautytherapy.com.
27. Estée Lauder Signature Hudra Lustre lip at bobbibrowncosmetics.com.
28. Chanel Rouge Hydrabase in Enigma $27 at chanel.com.
29. Chanel Rouge Allure in Naïve, $30 at chanel.com.
30. Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Crème lipstick in Oasis, $18 at sephora.com.
31. Trish McEvoy sheer lipstick in Innocent Sheer, $22 at Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
32. YSL Beauté Rouge Volupté lipstick in Sweet Honey, $29 at Henri Bendel in New York, (800) 423-6335.
33. Smashbox Photo Finish lipstick in Delightful, $22 at Sephora stores.
34. Rilastil Long Lasting Color Fix in Tender Rose, $28 at C. O. Bigelow in New York, (212) 533-2700.
35. Laura Mercier lip color in Pink Champagne, $22 at lauramercier.com.
36. Paul & Joe Lipstick N in No. 17, $20 at thebeautycloset.com.
37. TheBalm Read My Lips lipstick in Letter to the Editor, $16 at C. O. Bigelow in New York (212) 533-2700.
38. Lipstick Queen by Poppy King sheer lip color in Medieval, $20 at Barneys New York stores.
39. Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick in Lolita, $18 at sephora.com.
40. Korres Mango Butter SPF 10 in Nude 33, $18 at sephora.com.
41. BeingTRUE translucent lip color in Protagonist, $22 at truelynatural.com.
Have a great week!!
Love, P
And here are some holiday recipes from friend, Louise Davis!
Go to this website!
YUM!!
http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/rec0741.html
So, it was with continued amazement that I attended my Ikebana International meeting today to view yet another demonstration of Hand Tied Bouquets. Our guest demonstrator was a faculty member from the American School of Flower Arranging (yes, we are stealing from the Brits!). He made a large array of Hand Tie Bouquet arrangements and each one was a bit different. He made small ones and attached them to a wreath. He made large ones in clear vases that he covered with this wire mesh wrapping material that you can get a Michaels…He used colored wire to create a kenzan in a clear vase and then put the Hand Tied Bouquet in that. Tied it up with a wire bow from CostCo! He also used these little cubes that you soak in water and then put them in a clear vase. You add cranberries and they sort of float in the clear cubes (think gelatin) and then here is the best thing…you can buy these little votive lights called, eco-lights, that can be turned on and SUBMERGED in the jello-cranberry mixture. I mean TRULY…does it get any better than this??!! Paula also had some tricks up her sleeve using CROTON leaves on outside of a clear vase and tied it with wire. She said they would last up to 4 days. CROTON leaves have great color, so you can use them for many occasions! You can fill the vases with a variety of flowers-very FESTIVE!!!
It was such good fortune to see two excellent demonstrations in less than four days knowing that I will probably never be able to master this type of flower arranging!!! I did speak to the fellow from the American School of Flower Arranging and asked if I could just take a class in Hand Tied Bouquets and he said YES! So stay tuned Chi-town readers and I will let you know when the next class is being held!! Well worth it!!!!!
Of course, attending the Ikebana meeting always brings with it memories of living in Japan and trying to keep a part of that experience alive in my current life! NOT SO SIMPLE!! The meeting was in a suburb, an hour from home, so that means two hours of driving time. Of course, I truly couldn't believe that it was really an hour away, so I left late, but arrived just in time for LUNCH! I had to take the last open seat, which meant that I didn't get to sit by dear friend, Janet Knowlton, who is living in the Chicago area. We were friends in Tokyo and also at Ikebana International. She went on to live all over the world, but has now landed in Chi-Town. (I am sure the highlight of all her destinations!!) It is fun to see her after 15 years! The demonstration and meeting lasted 4 hours, so Janet and I waved to each other. You know, this WAS my life in Tokyo, when you felt like you had accomplished something if you did ONE thing a day…But, this is my current life and I need to do 15 things a day… the people in the group are lovely…but, Janet and I both looked at each other and said..THIS IS SO NOT FITTING WITH OUR LIVES!!!!
It is the love of Ikebana that brings people together, but trying to make it a part of your life is something else!
And doesn't that seem the mantra lately…THIS IS SO NOT FITTING WITH OUR LIVES!! It usually appears during the beginning of the holiday season! You have all these things that you need to do and hope that people will help you and they are in the same boat and decide to bail on you!! The funny thing is that, what you had signed up to do is still there!! YIKES!! I can usually handle my own volunteer commitments, but this season, it seems more than ever, the need is greater. Perhaps it is the economy, maybe it is an excuse for some. I am not sure, but I must be on the speed dial of those groups that need help, since the phone keeps ringing!!! But, that is what all-nighters are for!!! I love it when the young people come to work looking like they pulled an all-nighter…and guess what they did!! I tell them that I can RELATE!!!!
Attended a Fashion seminar on "Your Image in times of FLUX!" It wasn't for the Fashion Forward, but still some great ideas to share:
1. Hone your people skills, conversational arts and emotional intelligence. What is that?? This was a term I wasn't that familiar with, but in times of FLUX it is important to know what to think! Here's a definition from Wikipedia and if this isn't clear, click on the link for an entire discourse and see if it is any clearer!!!!
Emotional Intelligence (EI), often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes an ability, capacity, skill or (in the case of the trait EI model) a self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups. It is a relatively new area of psychological research. The definition of EI is constantly changing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence
Shop SALES!! (Tell us something WE don't know!)
Use coupon websites: www.ebates.com, www.wow-coupons.com (you can let MOI know about these)
Expand your global network, internally and externally-Facebook here we come!
Add Accessories!
And advice for the Fashion Forward! Buy a Capelet!
They are everywhere in all price points (try to buy one on SALE)! They are cable knit and faux-fur trimmed (what I bought-bien sur!). It looks best with a pencil skirt or jeans. And be sure to wear Pointy-toed shoes!!!!!
In case you missed last week's lipstick fest in the NYTimes-here you go!!
By ELLEN TIEN
Published: November 7, 2008
As the economy crumbles, the Lipstick Index — that frivolous financial barometer that says cosmetics sales rise in direct relation to free-falling finances — has jumped. Sales in the last few months are up 40 percent. Here are 41 of fall's most popular pick-me-ups, from $1.99 to over $50. What do women want when they aren't allowed to want too much? Traditional lipsticks in more-sheer neutral shades; the bright reds of days gone by have been replaced by pinky browns and rosy taupes.
Top row, from left to right:
1. Benefit Full-Finish lipstick in Ladies' Choice, $18 at benefitcosmetics.com.
2. Sisley Hydrating long-lasting lipstick No. L17, $55 at Neiman Marcus stores.
3. Vincent Longo Lipstain SPF lipstick in Americana, $23 at vincentlongo.com.
4. Pur Minerals lipstick in Raspberry Quartz, $15 at Ulta stores.
5. Shiseido Perfecting lipstick in P13, $22.50 at sephora.com.
6. Mark Dew Drenched Moisturlicious lip color in Pretty Posey, $6 at meetmark.com.
7. Jane Iredale PureMoist LipColour in Melisa, $19 at Vert in Los Angeles, (310) 581-6126.
8. Josie Maran lipstick in Rumi Joon, $20 at barneys.com.
9. MAC lipstick in Viva Glam VI, $14 at maccosmetics.com.
10. Clinique Long Last Soft Shine lipstick in Bamboo Pink, $14 at clinique .com.
11. Avon Beyond Color Plumping lip color in Divine Wine, $8 at avon .com.
12. Dior Addict High Shine lipstick in Casual Beige, $25 at Bloomingdale's stores.
13. Mally Beauty lipstick in Zooey Doll, $15 at henribendel.com.
14. Origins Smileage Plus Organic Liptint in Vintage, $11 at origins.com.
15. Nars lipstick in Dolce Vita, $24 at narscosmetics.com.
16. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty in Plum Shimmer, $9.99 at Duane Reade stores.
17. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Crème Matte lipstick in Red 165M, $23 at shuuemura-usa.com.
18. DuWop Prime Venom nude lip plumping balm and primer, $20 at Sephora.
19. Michael Marcus lipstick in Jenifer, $24 at michaelmarcus.com.
20. N.Y.C. New York Color Ultra Last LipWear in Brandy Sparkle, $1.99 at Wal-Mart stores.
21. Sue Devitt lipstick in Zimbabwe, $20 at Barneys New York.
Bottom row, from left to right:
22. Bobbi Brown lip color in Brown, $22 at bobbibrowncosmetics.com.
23. By Terry Rouge Delectation lipstick in Icy Praline, $41 at Barneys New York stores.
24. Jouer Lip Color in Phoebe, $22 at Henri Bendel in New York, (800) 423-6335.
25. Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Coffee Shimmer, $4.95 at CVS stores.
26. Ramy lipstick in Ramy Red, $17 at ramybeautytherapy.com.
27. Estée Lauder Signature Hudra Lustre lip at bobbibrowncosmetics.com.
28. Chanel Rouge Hydrabase in Enigma $27 at chanel.com.
29. Chanel Rouge Allure in Naïve, $30 at chanel.com.
30. Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Crème lipstick in Oasis, $18 at sephora.com.
31. Trish McEvoy sheer lipstick in Innocent Sheer, $22 at Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
32. YSL Beauté Rouge Volupté lipstick in Sweet Honey, $29 at Henri Bendel in New York, (800) 423-6335.
33. Smashbox Photo Finish lipstick in Delightful, $22 at Sephora stores.
34. Rilastil Long Lasting Color Fix in Tender Rose, $28 at C. O. Bigelow in New York, (212) 533-2700.
35. Laura Mercier lip color in Pink Champagne, $22 at lauramercier.com.
36. Paul & Joe Lipstick N in No. 17, $20 at thebeautycloset.com.
37. TheBalm Read My Lips lipstick in Letter to the Editor, $16 at C. O. Bigelow in New York (212) 533-2700.
38. Lipstick Queen by Poppy King sheer lip color in Medieval, $20 at Barneys New York stores.
39. Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick in Lolita, $18 at sephora.com.
40. Korres Mango Butter SPF 10 in Nude 33, $18 at sephora.com.
41. BeingTRUE translucent lip color in Protagonist, $22 at truelynatural.com.
Have a great week!!
Love, P
And here are some holiday recipes from friend, Louise Davis!
Go to this website!
YUM!!
http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/rec0741.html
Thursday, November 6, 2008
"“Raise Your Hand if….."
There I was at the Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Midwest conference, EAGER to hear this speakers thoughts on starting your own Planned Giving program…almost as exciting as those banking days!! I truly can't get over how so many things are transferable!! The plans, processes, marketing….all similar between profit and nonprofit. I think the only difference is that the nonprofit world doesn't think they are the same!!!! Have to work on that! This very nice fellow was beginning his program with, "Raise your hand if you are the person at your organization that is in charge of the Annual Appeal." All 100 attendees raised their hand. "Keep your hand raised, if you are ALSO in charge of the Planned Giving." 25 hands went down. "Keep you hand raised if you are ALSO in charge of Major Gifts." 25 hands went down. "Keep your hand raised if you are ALSO in charge of Events." Another 25 hands went down. I was looking around the room AMAZED that there were still others in a similar position as MOI!! "Keep your hand raised if you are ALSO in charge of the PR." Down went 15 hands. "Keep your hand raised if you are ALSO in charge of the Marketing." Down went 5 more!
5 of us left with Hands Raised!! The speaker went on to say-Let's give these folks a hand!! One Person Shop!!! I was a bit surprised…I hadn't really thought of my job in these terms. It seems like you just do what you have to do! I could see my fellow conference attendees viewing MOI in a new light, instead of who is that OLDER woman over there…now I was a ONE PERSON SHOP WONDER!!!!
My last session was on how to raise money in difficult financial times!! Hoping to find TRUE insight here! Three speakers from different corporations all seemed quite pleasant and were smiling…so I thought, this has to be good!! They all outlined their giving strategies, none of which would apply to my job…so, I remained hopeful that they would provide ADDITIONAL insight…and then….it appeared on the screen: "Skilled Volunteering!!" Skilled Volunteering…why didn't I think of calling it that!! You are all in DEMAND, since you are skilled volunteers!! In fact, one company offered pro bono assistance with website design (I took note of that!!!), but that really isn't what we need from a corporation…we need the $$$$! Of course, pro bono legal or accounting help is always desired, but that isn't going to help balance my budget, if I don't need those services. They went on to say they were looking for "Team Building" volunteer experiences for their employees, such as painting…Friend, Louise Davis suggested that we could get another dumpster and instead of MOI spending the day going up and down those stairs, it could be a TEAM BUILDING project!! This definitely has possibilities!
And alas, just like Oprah's makeovers…I hate to admit it, but I have not kept up my "organizing system in my office." It isn't horrible, but the piles are back-maybe a function of 6 different things all converging at once….but still, no excuses….I called my organizer helper back on Saturday for a session! He was nice, but firm-he didn't really YELL at MOI, but just said that he couldn't believe that I had fallen back into my old habits (It was a good thing he didn't see the piles of papers on my dining room table!)….Well, what does he expect, MIRACLES?? He is correct, of course…but, I am doing my best!! We managed to get things back in order and better shape. Why does this happen??? I AM open to change…I just have certain habits that are hard to break! Those piles of papers!! He is trying to help MOI get rid of things that I can find on the web. My problem is that if I don't see it, I don't always think of looking it up on the web. Every time I put a piece of paper in the recycling, he would shout HOORAY! It is nice to get that POSITIVE reinforcement! I can see why our kids love it!!! We are working on setting up a Google doc where I can keep my notes, instead of using all those cute note cards that are pink with a "P" on them! BUT, I LOVE THOSE NOTE CARDS!! I told him that I would be a challenge!! At the end, we decided that his Tag Line should be, "He's tough, but gets RESULTS!"
As many of you know, I LOVE anything with made with apples, as in PIE, TARTE TATIN, CRISP, and my all time favorite, Carmel apples, so Delicious!! I am so excited this time of year because Carmel apples abound! So you can ONLY imagine my horror to discover the caloric count of my FAVORITE TREAT!!! I was about to bite into this delicious treat when I saw that the calorie count was only 140 calories per serving per apple. HOW FABULOUS!! And just as I was to take the SECOND bite, I noticed the fine print in the SERVING size…..3 per apple! ARE YOU KIDDING MOI!!!! Three folks sharing ONE APPLE! Oh my goodness!! Here I was ready to chow down on the entire thing, not realizing I had to share it with others if I wanted to stay thin!
It is NEVER easy is it!
Chatting with fellow young people in the office, another FAB shoe site for you all!
www.shoebuy.com
Time to get out the PURPLE!! Jeff is certainly excited about this color!! His beloved Northwestern team may even get invited to a Bowl Game! Let's just hope it is in a geographically desirable destination!!
PURPLE goes well with Black and Grey, so it can go with your wardrobe. One piece will signify to others how truly CHIC you are!
Look for something simple, such as a sweater, maybe a cardigan or turtleneck, handbag, ballet flat, Bootie (INC International Concept: Coral Bootie, $89 at Macy's. A wool scarf could give that black winter coat just the touch it needs!!
Taking next week off from the Newsletter, Heading to Mexico for a holiday! Can't wait to see what Fashion tips I can find there!!!!
A full report in two weeks!!
Lot of love,
P
5 of us left with Hands Raised!! The speaker went on to say-Let's give these folks a hand!! One Person Shop!!! I was a bit surprised…I hadn't really thought of my job in these terms. It seems like you just do what you have to do! I could see my fellow conference attendees viewing MOI in a new light, instead of who is that OLDER woman over there…now I was a ONE PERSON SHOP WONDER!!!!
My last session was on how to raise money in difficult financial times!! Hoping to find TRUE insight here! Three speakers from different corporations all seemed quite pleasant and were smiling…so I thought, this has to be good!! They all outlined their giving strategies, none of which would apply to my job…so, I remained hopeful that they would provide ADDITIONAL insight…and then….it appeared on the screen: "Skilled Volunteering!!" Skilled Volunteering…why didn't I think of calling it that!! You are all in DEMAND, since you are skilled volunteers!! In fact, one company offered pro bono assistance with website design (I took note of that!!!), but that really isn't what we need from a corporation…we need the $$$$! Of course, pro bono legal or accounting help is always desired, but that isn't going to help balance my budget, if I don't need those services. They went on to say they were looking for "Team Building" volunteer experiences for their employees, such as painting…Friend, Louise Davis suggested that we could get another dumpster and instead of MOI spending the day going up and down those stairs, it could be a TEAM BUILDING project!! This definitely has possibilities!
And alas, just like Oprah's makeovers…I hate to admit it, but I have not kept up my "organizing system in my office." It isn't horrible, but the piles are back-maybe a function of 6 different things all converging at once….but still, no excuses….I called my organizer helper back on Saturday for a session! He was nice, but firm-he didn't really YELL at MOI, but just said that he couldn't believe that I had fallen back into my old habits (It was a good thing he didn't see the piles of papers on my dining room table!)….Well, what does he expect, MIRACLES?? He is correct, of course…but, I am doing my best!! We managed to get things back in order and better shape. Why does this happen??? I AM open to change…I just have certain habits that are hard to break! Those piles of papers!! He is trying to help MOI get rid of things that I can find on the web. My problem is that if I don't see it, I don't always think of looking it up on the web. Every time I put a piece of paper in the recycling, he would shout HOORAY! It is nice to get that POSITIVE reinforcement! I can see why our kids love it!!! We are working on setting up a Google doc where I can keep my notes, instead of using all those cute note cards that are pink with a "P" on them! BUT, I LOVE THOSE NOTE CARDS!! I told him that I would be a challenge!! At the end, we decided that his Tag Line should be, "He's tough, but gets RESULTS!"
As many of you know, I LOVE anything with made with apples, as in PIE, TARTE TATIN, CRISP, and my all time favorite, Carmel apples, so Delicious!! I am so excited this time of year because Carmel apples abound! So you can ONLY imagine my horror to discover the caloric count of my FAVORITE TREAT!!! I was about to bite into this delicious treat when I saw that the calorie count was only 140 calories per serving per apple. HOW FABULOUS!! And just as I was to take the SECOND bite, I noticed the fine print in the SERVING size…..3 per apple! ARE YOU KIDDING MOI!!!! Three folks sharing ONE APPLE! Oh my goodness!! Here I was ready to chow down on the entire thing, not realizing I had to share it with others if I wanted to stay thin!
It is NEVER easy is it!
Chatting with fellow young people in the office, another FAB shoe site for you all!
www.shoebuy.com
Time to get out the PURPLE!! Jeff is certainly excited about this color!! His beloved Northwestern team may even get invited to a Bowl Game! Let's just hope it is in a geographically desirable destination!!
PURPLE goes well with Black and Grey, so it can go with your wardrobe. One piece will signify to others how truly CHIC you are!
Look for something simple, such as a sweater, maybe a cardigan or turtleneck, handbag, ballet flat, Bootie (INC International Concept: Coral Bootie, $89 at Macy's. A wool scarf could give that black winter coat just the touch it needs!!
Taking next week off from the Newsletter, Heading to Mexico for a holiday! Can't wait to see what Fashion tips I can find there!!!!
A full report in two weeks!!
Lot of love,
P
Monday, October 27, 2008
And WHICH budget would that come out of????
The call came in from the Board President…if you ever want me to pick up my phone, just use the Board President's cell phone and I will be sure to answer! I KNOW to answer that phone call!!! He is always very direct and asked how many Poinsettia plants I wanted to order for the Art Center for Holiday decoration. HMMMMM….since I provide the weekly floral arrangements (at my own expense), I was very surprised to find that the Art Center bought Poinsettias for the Holidays. And, as I am very FAMILIAR with every line in our budget, never noticed one for Holiday poinsettias! And, not wishing to appear confused on the phone with the Board President, (these are the issues I face on a daily basis!!!!) I decided that honesty would be the best. "I didn't realize that we purchased Poinsettias for the Holidays. Did we do this last year?" (I have found it wise to ask if they did it last year…gives a reference point!) "Well, yes…I am sure we did." Always wanting to provide a more decorative interior for the Art Center, I was thrilled that we did this. However, with no idea how we would pay for it, short of MOI paying for it…decided to inquire further! The Board President went on to say that we had ordered some small ones and medium size ones. O.K.???? "And Which Budget would this come out of???" The Board President seemed a bit surprised that I would be so hesitant to order the Poinsettias. Don't get MOI wrong, I LOVE poinsettias…Jeff loves Poinsettias we all LOVE poinsettias…but, as we all know, the take lots of care, watering and maintenance to look FAB! Plus, they don't like the cold and I could only think of putting them by the entrance, with a door that opens constantly. ON THE OTHER HAND….it would save MOI time, since I wouldn't have to do the arrangements for a few weeks. And let's be honest….I am truly into saving times these days!!! I am like, WHO CAN I PAY TO DO THINGS!!! And it isn't event December yet (I usually flip out at that time of year..this is a little early!!!
We have our Winter Expo Arts and Crafts sale staring in November and running until mid-December, which has put me into high gear a little earlier than usual! The Expo takes over the entire first floor of the Art Center with 85 artists selling their items….so, not sure we would even have the space for those poinsettias. You can see my dilemma…. There had to be MORE to this phone call…You know how that goes with your kids, when you are getting only PART OF THE STORY…it was that same conversation. So….the Board President continued to say that he was selling them for one of his organizations!! Are you Kidding MOI??!!!!
That's better!! Everyone should know that you can't fool MOM! Now, I get the picture. I always order poinsettias for our house from various fundraisers, so I am happy to order them from him! "Here's the deal….we can't order them for the Art Center, but I am happy to buy them for my house." Not quite the response he was looking for, but continued…"Well, how many do you want? They are small, medium and large." CLEARLY, he does not buy poinsettias for his own home. SMALL, MEDIUM and LARGE…I need dimensions… "Do they come in different colors?" I always order a selection and like the pink/white combos. "Different Colors???" I could see that he wasn't a happy camper…He just wanted me to say 5 medium ones in red, this was getting to be an ORDEAL…but, hey….if I am buying them for my home…I want them to be right! "Do you have an order form that lists all the info???" This put him over the edge…First the sigh, then he said he had to go, but would drop something off this week. I truly didn't mean to be difficult, but, for a floral arranger, poinsettias are IMPORTANT! Just trying to do my job and stay on BUDGET!!!!
Went to a luncheon for my new group, CWIP – love that acronym! Chicago Women in Philanthropy. They were celebrating their 25th anniversary with a luncheon honoring Desiree Rogers, now the President of Social Networking for Allstate. That is a title for MOI to aspire too!!!!!!! She is an amazing woman and has been a role model for working women, so I was looking forward to words of wisdom from this super woman!! She was dressed in a very Chic and FAB suit! Love that!! Couldn't see the shoes from my seat, but I just KNEW they would be perfect! She received her award and then took the podium to much applause….the room grew quiet and she began. "I really don't like to speak from prepared notes….." Are you kidding MOI!! Here is this super woman, speaking off the cuff…I knew we were in trouble! She spent the first 5 minutes thanking everyone, a nice touch and then sort of "winged it!" As you all know, I am La REIGN of winging it, but not when I am speaking to a group of 500 women! She started talking a bit about the downturn in the economy and how it would be affecting nonprofits…O.K., here we go…..looking for a way to perhaps see if there will be hope for this year ahead! That aforementioned budget will only be balanced, if I make that 25% increase in my fundraising…
She went on to say that nonprofits should look to having more volunteers to help out, since people will have less money to donate, they will give more time.
Less Money..More Time??????
My mind is reeling…maybe a slogan… "We will take your time, instead of your money!" Then, I thought….I really need to see how I can turn those volunteer hours into $$$$$ (if I figure out how to do this, then I will truly be amazing!!). Now, many of us do volunteer to raise $$$ for many nonprofits, but, this wasn't what she was referring to in this speech. I think she felt that we could have volunteers do things that nonprofits pay for, thereby saving us money! There is some merit in this! However, nonprofits truly have become leaner in the past few years, so those fun volunteer jobs have gone away!! The jobs that we need help with are data entry and maintenance! Not so enticing for those volunteers and then there is the little problem of paying for certain services. Artists are very generous people, but if they are teaching classes, they would like to be paid! This is their job! Not sure if volunteers teaching their classes will really make it!
The speech ended and I found myself standing close to Desiree as we were leaving. I thought here is my chance to really get further definition on her Less/More theme…maybe some ideas. I waited patiently for my turn and was about to introduce myself, when this younger woman just walked right in front of MOI! She had on a name badge with her bank listed on it(and one that I KNOW people at!)….I didn't say anything, mainly because I was so surprised that someone would be so RUDE! She introduced herself, chatted and then walked off. Of course, by this time, Desiree had to go, so missed my moment…Heading over to the elevator, the door opened and I got in, the doors were just about to close when Ms. Rude walks in. She looks at MOI (We had 20 floors to go!) and realizes who I was. She turned and said, "I am sorry, that was so RUDE of me to go in front of you, just now." A nice touch, I thought, but I couldn't help myself and replied… "You should really think about breaking into a conversation, while wearing a name tag."
Chic for Less is now everywhere-including an entire section in the November issue of INSTYLE mag! BUY IT!!! TarJay is still hot…People Mag featured many of the items I wrote about last week! Although, some of the items are already sold out online!! See if you can find them in stores and BUY THEM!
For Handbags-check out www.sandraroberts.com some great buys under $100!!! Also, www.shopsueyboutique.com has a great selection!
Check out the bracelets at J. Crew – www.jcrew.com, they are 12K gold-plated with resin and wood beads, so fab and at $95- a great look for not too much $$$
Great bangle bracelets for $30 and $35 at www.emitations.com stack them with your watch or mix them with your bracelets from J. Crew. Keep all other jewelry minimal!
And with SNOW in this week's forecast….Boots are everywhere! Saw some very cute ones form Hogan at Saks…they are motorcycle in style with a round toe, Mid-calf and a small buckle detail…but, on the other hand, you probably will have more fun shopping at this website where BOOTS are FAB at www.newport-news.com
Love the Patent Leather High boots and also the booties with a ribbon detail.
"Luke" faux leather boots by Michael Antonio at www.shiekhshoes.com for $53 are Fab and you won't have to worry about the snow ruining them!!
And as it gets colder some tips for LIPS!
Fab Lip Glosser-for $29 – you will love it!
http://lauragormancosmetics.com/products/lip-toxyl-sheer-starlet
And for under $10 the following!
LanoLip's All-Natural Lip Scrub exfoliates and SMOOTHS with sugar! YUM!! www.lanolip.com $9.99
CoverGirl Outlast Smoothwear lipliner's precision pen lasts all day (or at least a long time!!) $5.99 at Drugstores
Collagen-boosting (always FAB) Sally Hansen Lip Line treatment fills in those little lines around the mouth! $9.95 at Drugstores
Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate is filled with antioxidants, including vitamin C and E, gives chapped lips a shine and touch of pink! www.sephora.com $9
Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cherry is time tested and FAB for $1.99 at Drugstores.
Green by Nature Lip Shine gives you a shine with a peppermint-oil glaze which leaves your breath smelling FAB too! For $9.99, A 2-fer!! www.greenbynaturebeauty.com
Happy Halloween!!
Love, P
We have our Winter Expo Arts and Crafts sale staring in November and running until mid-December, which has put me into high gear a little earlier than usual! The Expo takes over the entire first floor of the Art Center with 85 artists selling their items….so, not sure we would even have the space for those poinsettias. You can see my dilemma…. There had to be MORE to this phone call…You know how that goes with your kids, when you are getting only PART OF THE STORY…it was that same conversation. So….the Board President continued to say that he was selling them for one of his organizations!! Are you Kidding MOI??!!!!
That's better!! Everyone should know that you can't fool MOM! Now, I get the picture. I always order poinsettias for our house from various fundraisers, so I am happy to order them from him! "Here's the deal….we can't order them for the Art Center, but I am happy to buy them for my house." Not quite the response he was looking for, but continued…"Well, how many do you want? They are small, medium and large." CLEARLY, he does not buy poinsettias for his own home. SMALL, MEDIUM and LARGE…I need dimensions… "Do they come in different colors?" I always order a selection and like the pink/white combos. "Different Colors???" I could see that he wasn't a happy camper…He just wanted me to say 5 medium ones in red, this was getting to be an ORDEAL…but, hey….if I am buying them for my home…I want them to be right! "Do you have an order form that lists all the info???" This put him over the edge…First the sigh, then he said he had to go, but would drop something off this week. I truly didn't mean to be difficult, but, for a floral arranger, poinsettias are IMPORTANT! Just trying to do my job and stay on BUDGET!!!!
Went to a luncheon for my new group, CWIP – love that acronym! Chicago Women in Philanthropy. They were celebrating their 25th anniversary with a luncheon honoring Desiree Rogers, now the President of Social Networking for Allstate. That is a title for MOI to aspire too!!!!!!! She is an amazing woman and has been a role model for working women, so I was looking forward to words of wisdom from this super woman!! She was dressed in a very Chic and FAB suit! Love that!! Couldn't see the shoes from my seat, but I just KNEW they would be perfect! She received her award and then took the podium to much applause….the room grew quiet and she began. "I really don't like to speak from prepared notes….." Are you kidding MOI!! Here is this super woman, speaking off the cuff…I knew we were in trouble! She spent the first 5 minutes thanking everyone, a nice touch and then sort of "winged it!" As you all know, I am La REIGN of winging it, but not when I am speaking to a group of 500 women! She started talking a bit about the downturn in the economy and how it would be affecting nonprofits…O.K., here we go…..looking for a way to perhaps see if there will be hope for this year ahead! That aforementioned budget will only be balanced, if I make that 25% increase in my fundraising…
She went on to say that nonprofits should look to having more volunteers to help out, since people will have less money to donate, they will give more time.
Less Money..More Time??????
My mind is reeling…maybe a slogan… "We will take your time, instead of your money!" Then, I thought….I really need to see how I can turn those volunteer hours into $$$$$ (if I figure out how to do this, then I will truly be amazing!!). Now, many of us do volunteer to raise $$$ for many nonprofits, but, this wasn't what she was referring to in this speech. I think she felt that we could have volunteers do things that nonprofits pay for, thereby saving us money! There is some merit in this! However, nonprofits truly have become leaner in the past few years, so those fun volunteer jobs have gone away!! The jobs that we need help with are data entry and maintenance! Not so enticing for those volunteers and then there is the little problem of paying for certain services. Artists are very generous people, but if they are teaching classes, they would like to be paid! This is their job! Not sure if volunteers teaching their classes will really make it!
The speech ended and I found myself standing close to Desiree as we were leaving. I thought here is my chance to really get further definition on her Less/More theme…maybe some ideas. I waited patiently for my turn and was about to introduce myself, when this younger woman just walked right in front of MOI! She had on a name badge with her bank listed on it(and one that I KNOW people at!)….I didn't say anything, mainly because I was so surprised that someone would be so RUDE! She introduced herself, chatted and then walked off. Of course, by this time, Desiree had to go, so missed my moment…Heading over to the elevator, the door opened and I got in, the doors were just about to close when Ms. Rude walks in. She looks at MOI (We had 20 floors to go!) and realizes who I was. She turned and said, "I am sorry, that was so RUDE of me to go in front of you, just now." A nice touch, I thought, but I couldn't help myself and replied… "You should really think about breaking into a conversation, while wearing a name tag."
Chic for Less is now everywhere-including an entire section in the November issue of INSTYLE mag! BUY IT!!! TarJay is still hot…People Mag featured many of the items I wrote about last week! Although, some of the items are already sold out online!! See if you can find them in stores and BUY THEM!
For Handbags-check out www.sandraroberts.com some great buys under $100!!! Also, www.shopsueyboutique.com has a great selection!
Check out the bracelets at J. Crew – www.jcrew.com, they are 12K gold-plated with resin and wood beads, so fab and at $95- a great look for not too much $$$
Great bangle bracelets for $30 and $35 at www.emitations.com stack them with your watch or mix them with your bracelets from J. Crew. Keep all other jewelry minimal!
And with SNOW in this week's forecast….Boots are everywhere! Saw some very cute ones form Hogan at Saks…they are motorcycle in style with a round toe, Mid-calf and a small buckle detail…but, on the other hand, you probably will have more fun shopping at this website where BOOTS are FAB at www.newport-news.com
Love the Patent Leather High boots and also the booties with a ribbon detail.
"Luke" faux leather boots by Michael Antonio at www.shiekhshoes.com for $53 are Fab and you won't have to worry about the snow ruining them!!
And as it gets colder some tips for LIPS!
Fab Lip Glosser-for $29 – you will love it!
http://lauragormancosmetics.com/products/lip-toxyl-sheer-starlet
And for under $10 the following!
LanoLip's All-Natural Lip Scrub exfoliates and SMOOTHS with sugar! YUM!! www.lanolip.com $9.99
CoverGirl Outlast Smoothwear lipliner's precision pen lasts all day (or at least a long time!!) $5.99 at Drugstores
Collagen-boosting (always FAB) Sally Hansen Lip Line treatment fills in those little lines around the mouth! $9.95 at Drugstores
Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate is filled with antioxidants, including vitamin C and E, gives chapped lips a shine and touch of pink! www.sephora.com $9
Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cherry is time tested and FAB for $1.99 at Drugstores.
Green by Nature Lip Shine gives you a shine with a peppermint-oil glaze which leaves your breath smelling FAB too! For $9.99, A 2-fer!! www.greenbynaturebeauty.com
Happy Halloween!!
Love, P
“I’m the Executive Director and this is ......"
Paula, who does everything else!"
WHATTTTTTT??? Did I hear that correctly???
My boss and I were at one of our "Art Collectors" events-this is one of our "exclusive" benefits of membership at the art center (discounts on art classes is the other-although, this past week I was "dialing for dollars" as one of my staff members put it, as I arranged for other discounts at Art Supply and Framing stores…). My boss was welcoming the group of attendees to this event on Friday evening (love these events that go from 7-9 p.m. on Friday evenings!) I had spent part of the day running around to get the food, then set it up and bring it over to the house, unload, set-up and of course, look FAB and be charming to great all our members. Not so sure about the looking FAB part…probably, looking TIRED would be more like it! You know, it is rough to look good by Friday evening without a little time to "freshen up!" I managed to do the lipstick as blush thing as I was driving over. I found a concealer stick in my make-up bag and was working on the under eye area at a stoplight and looked over to see another woman giving me the HIGH FIVE sign!! A SISTER!!!!! I thought, thank goodness, I had that concealer! I could have used some hair goop to make my bangs straight, but had to sort of mush them to the side-thank goodness for the toussled look!! Sexy on some, hiding bad bangs on others!!!!!
Needless to say, by the time folks started to arrive, I was ready to go home!! But, always trying to be cheerful, I put my "party" face on and graciously poured beverages…of course, the Board President had arrived and started to ask MOI something and all of the sudden, the allergies went into gear and I started sneezing…Trying to avoid the food buffet, which I was standing behind, I just smiled and RAN out of the room. The collection was all on the first floor and no place to go…so I headed out the front door!! I stood outside sneezing and now coughing when my boss arrived. "Good God, Paula. What is WRONG with you??" I just looked at him and said "LEAVES!" Finished with my "FIT" and returned inside to apologize to the Board President for my rather hasty departure. Ended up serving everyone and making small talk encouraging everyone there to donate $10K each and then I would be in good shape for the rest of the year!!! IN MY DREAMS!! I was just hoping that everyone had paid their $25 donation for the evening. (the receptionists take the reservations)…I will have to check the list on Monday, since several were supposed to pay at the door and arrived empty handed, but we didn't have name tags, so not sure who paid and who didn't! Have to work on that system!
The program started and my boss came out with that INTRO! I guess, it doesn't get any better than this!
I can never decide if the Fall is busier than the Spring…it is always such a toss up! I did notice when I looked at the projected fall calendar, things would be a tad busy in the fall…but still HAD NO IDEA!! Just so many deadlines all over the place and of course, no control over all the pieces, so one has to work around EVERYONE else's schedules…but, hey, I am a MOM which is, as we all know, perfect training for working with EVERYONE else's schedules and at the same time, trying to fit in a Manicure/Hair Cut/Lunch with friends, if you can!
This past week was Arts Week across the state of Illinois, so we had special events going on at the Art Center all week. Thursday morning was meet your Legislators at a student run artist café located close to my high school. I thought it would be fun to go back to the old neighborhood!!!! It was an early morning affair, so put on the business suit, with beige fishnets and pointy-toed heels. Not so sure what to wear to a Legislator's Breakfast, but they had representatives from the Federal and State, so best to go with the "Corporate" attire. Arrived to see all the Artists were wearing their usual attire….and yours truly, the only one in a suit aside from the Legislators, who all wore suits and the women all had BAD SHOES!! One did her best to show her support of the arts by wearing a very pretty pin from an Illinois artist, but she also had on a necklace and earrings that did not go with that pin. I surmised that she just put that pin on THINKING she could fool this group, but AU CONTRAIRE…little did she know…I was on to her. I am sure she took that pin off the minute she left….You can't fool MOI!! And those SHOES….Maybe I should have given them a few fashion tips!
HELLO…people are looking at your shoes!!! Bad shoes can always be distracting! I guess they are used to speaking behind podiums, so maybe folks couldn't see their shoes-please don't ask MOI what they talked about…I was too busy staring at shoes! Since I live in a different legislative district, I couldn't vote for this folks, but since I try to get funding from all levels of government, I was very curious to hear what they had to say about any additional funding they might provide to the Arts!
They each had 10 minutes to talk, but the time the 4th person started….I was looking at my watch! By now it was 9:30 a.m. and you know how you get that feeling that things are not going well….like the times you are in the grocery store and you finally find everything you need and you rush to the check out line to see only ONE person checking folks out and the clock shows that you can only stand in line for 5 minutes, check out, BAG your groceries, rush to your car, unload the groceries into the car and then rush to pick up your kids. You are torn between LEAVING your FULL cart and doing this all over again WITH YOUR CHILDREN, or risking the wrath of your children yelling at you because you are late picking them up. It was that feeling! AND isn't it funny, even though your kids are grown….you still remember that feeling!!!! So when the 5th person started chatting about supporting the arts and her kids were taking dance lessons and drum lessons and how she might have to buy a "real" set of drums….I don't know what possessed MOI, but I said, in a rather loud voice, that I had that set of drums and that we could work out some sort of deal!!! The room erupted into laughter.
As soon as it was over, I rushed out to see 5 messages on my cell phone…. ARE YOU KIDDING MOI?? It was only 10:20 a.m.?? Jumped in the car and started listening to them. The first was from the Board President who said that he wanted to redo a letter that was going out to the Board and he would be at the Art Center at 10:30 a.m. This was followed by messages from other co-workers saying that my Ikebana sensei couldn't be there today, since her husband was sick. Of course, this was the day that we were having an Open House for the public, as part of arts week, and the Ikebana class was the featured class……AND….I also had two deadlines, one for our newsletter and the other for our winter expo event. Oh, did I also mention the call from my boss wondering why we didn't have an article in a publication about our current exhibition. I seriously thought about just driving home and going to back to bed! I had already spent the morning with people of power and influence and done my best to distinguish myself, or at best make a statement. But then, as you all know…I just THRIVE on this kind of thing! Always up to a challenge, however, still felt terrible from my allergies, so not quite 100%, but I had on those shoes and enough coffee for a lifetime..so GOOD TO GO!
Arrived to greet the Board President, and ready to tackle that letter. Called a local florist (thank goodness I spend a fortune with them-I know Jeff would also agree!!!!), and told them I needed WHATEVER they had to make 15 sets for the Ikebana class-AND COULD THEY DELIVER IT?? THANK GOODNESS FOR VISA! Met with the graphic artist who was not pleased that I didn't have all the copy for the newsletter finished, but told her that I would treat her to lunch next week! Met with winter expo coordinator and tried to smooth that one over….Flowers arrived and then to set up for the Ikebana lesson and demo….Folks arrived and the room filled up! GO IKEBANA!!! Finished the course, graphic artist gave me until tomorrow to finish the copy (will have to buy her a NICE LUNCH) and then…miracles upon miracles….at 5 p.m. I went to check my email and there was a message from the editor of the publication I have been trying to get an article in!!! He apologized for being so late in responding, but was sending his best reporter out in the next week and then signed it… "All the best," ALL THE BEST…editors never respond this way…well, I shouldn't say never, but most of the time, I spend so much time BEGGING them to write something…and there it is…ALL THE BEST…
It is so funny…..when things seem at their darkest…the light always shines!
GO immediately to TARJAY!! Or to www.target.com
Oh MY!
Go to the Go International section. Very cute clothes by Jonathan Saunders…they are Junior sized, so you probably need to order up a size or two, but very cute jackets and sweaters…maybe buy the Mini dresses for your daughter, but the tops are FAB!!!
Then…move on over to the ANYA HINDMARCH line. Just buy all the handbags! Here stuff is SO FAB and SO CHIC!!!!!! Love the entire line…Then over to shoes….and lo and behold…SIGERSON MORRISON…it is like Christmas! Her ballet flats are fab!! But at these prices just buy it all! I have ballet flats I bought 5 years ago and they are still FAB!!!!!! And last buy not least…jewelry-the line by Dean Harris may not be your thing, but check out it out! I love the earrings and bracelets! The necklaces are great for layering….many great pieces that look like they cost $$$$!
And once again, you heard it here first! A Victor line (the one from Carson's) sweater was featured in this Sunday Trib's fashion section! I know you already own it!!!!
Have a great week!!!!
Lots of love,
P
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Brush with Fame!
Chicago has experienced a "spot" of rain this weekend!! 8 inches in our neighborhood, which for us, is quite a bit!! Lots of flooding, but for MOI….a blessing in disguise. Now that both boys are away, hubby, Jeff looks FORWARD to attending all the Northwestern football games with MOI! Of course, they are fun..but, he likes to GO EARLY, and since most games start at 11:00 a.m., that means leaving at 9:00 a.m. for Tailgating, which actually means that I have to get everything ready BEFORE 9:00 a.m. and then returning home around 4:00 p.m. Pretty much shoots the day! And when you are a working Gal….those Saturdays are VERY IMPORTANT for SHOPPING!!!! But, after 28 years of marriage, I know that this is not NEGOTIABLE!!! So, I smile, don my "Purple" attire (actually, lots to choose from this season!!!) and make the best of it! You can imagine my thoughts as I awoke to the torrential downpour that had been going on all night. I greeted Jeff with a cheerful "what time do you want to leave?" It was all I could do to smile. I could see Jeff was thinking….Maybe skip the Tailgate and go at 10:00 a.m. (10:00 a.m. and do what?? Sit in the rain for an additional hour???!!), but remained cheerful..O.K…what ever you say. Showered and washed my hair, about to put on make-up and thought, WHY BOTHER…it is pouring outside and I will be so wet…
Went downstairs to find Jeff surveying the yard (which by now is underwater) and the street, no flooding there yet, but the TV was announcing that parts of the local expressway were closed. I SAY NOTHING…..Jeff flips the channels and finds that the Game will be shown on the Big 10 network! YES! I STILL SAY NOTHING….I try to remain casual…get the "To Go" cups for coffee…"What time, honey??" Then, the most AMAZING thing comes out of his mouth…..I think it is too dangerous (dangerous??) to be driving around today, with all the streets flooding…so let's skip the game! I try to contain my GLEE! REMAIN CASUAL! Oh, o.k., I may just try to run a few errands then!!!!! OFF I WENT!!
It is so wonderful to have a "free day!" Of course, before this, had no time to get the manicure/pedicure that I was desperate for-so I called around and found someone free at a local salon! HOORAY! Then, just another run over to Carson's to check out more of the Victor line…it really is FABULOUS! I had received a mailer on SHOES, JEWELRY AND HANDBAGS…missed those before or maybe they weren't in the store yet…anyway….had to check them out for MOI or rather for YOU!!!
As I entered the store, I heard this man talking about Career dressing on a microphone…what's this??? A Fashion Show at Carson's???? I couldn't believe it…Did I mention my attire?? It truly was raining…so, I had on this 7/8th hooded YELLOW rain slicker and then my favorite rain boots from the Paul Smith collection 2004. They have a wild pattern on them and I LOVE THEM! I was wearing a skirt, so basically all you could see was the rain slicker and boots…quite fetching! Oh, did I mention I had my wallet, phone and keys in a Ziploc plastic bag…couldn't take a chance on ruining my FAB Handbags!!!! So, I wandered over to see what was going on and THERE in CARSON'S was Lloyd Boston, Fashion Style Expert, who is the spokesperson for Jones New York and written a book on fashion. I had just seen him on a Oprah re-run a few weeks ago and there…there he was only steps away!!!! I stayed to watch the rest of the show and then headed over to the handbags…which are FABULOUS by the way. The oversized clutch has a V at the closure…which really could be possibly confused with V for VALENTINO and I think you should just make the assumption that it is the LATTER! BUY IT NOW!
As I was paying…I happened to notice Mr. Boston (who is very cute, with a nice smile and much shorter in person than he looked on TV) was walking right past MOI! So, I just stood there, smiled and welcomed him to Chicago (He had luggage, so I assumed he wasn't from CHI-TOWN). I pointed to my ensemble and said that this is fashion in Chicago! He smiled and said, "LOVE THE POINTY-TOED WELLIES!!"
Thought you might enjoy the recipes on this link from WALGREEN's! Who knew they have recipes on their eblast!
Friend, Lori Witz, formerly of Chicago, now of Hilton Head Fame and well-known fashionista was visiting this week. Of course, we met to chat and SHOP!!!! I showed here those very cute booties from Payless and she was hooked!!! And she was wearing a very cute Black Anorak from the Simply Vera Line at KOHL'S! I went online and bought it ASAP! It is adorable!!!!
And I have to tell you all again to got to TARJAY! The Mossimo pointy toed raspberry-toned patent leather (or pleather) ballet flats are such a hit! I wore them this week and EVERY person I met commented on how FAB they were! Plus, the Mary Janes, with ruffle detail in a lavender color appeared in a fashion segment in a local newspaper…..Need I say anything MORE!
I am so glad life is so engaging. I often marvel at the WEALTH of material I have to work with each week!
Kisses, P
Went downstairs to find Jeff surveying the yard (which by now is underwater) and the street, no flooding there yet, but the TV was announcing that parts of the local expressway were closed. I SAY NOTHING…..Jeff flips the channels and finds that the Game will be shown on the Big 10 network! YES! I STILL SAY NOTHING….I try to remain casual…get the "To Go" cups for coffee…"What time, honey??" Then, the most AMAZING thing comes out of his mouth…..I think it is too dangerous (dangerous??) to be driving around today, with all the streets flooding…so let's skip the game! I try to contain my GLEE! REMAIN CASUAL! Oh, o.k., I may just try to run a few errands then!!!!! OFF I WENT!!
It is so wonderful to have a "free day!" Of course, before this, had no time to get the manicure/pedicure that I was desperate for-so I called around and found someone free at a local salon! HOORAY! Then, just another run over to Carson's to check out more of the Victor line…it really is FABULOUS! I had received a mailer on SHOES, JEWELRY AND HANDBAGS…missed those before or maybe they weren't in the store yet…anyway….had to check them out for MOI or rather for YOU!!!
As I entered the store, I heard this man talking about Career dressing on a microphone…what's this??? A Fashion Show at Carson's???? I couldn't believe it…Did I mention my attire?? It truly was raining…so, I had on this 7/8th hooded YELLOW rain slicker and then my favorite rain boots from the Paul Smith collection 2004. They have a wild pattern on them and I LOVE THEM! I was wearing a skirt, so basically all you could see was the rain slicker and boots…quite fetching! Oh, did I mention I had my wallet, phone and keys in a Ziploc plastic bag…couldn't take a chance on ruining my FAB Handbags!!!! So, I wandered over to see what was going on and THERE in CARSON'S was Lloyd Boston, Fashion Style Expert, who is the spokesperson for Jones New York and written a book on fashion. I had just seen him on a Oprah re-run a few weeks ago and there…there he was only steps away!!!! I stayed to watch the rest of the show and then headed over to the handbags…which are FABULOUS by the way. The oversized clutch has a V at the closure…which really could be possibly confused with V for VALENTINO and I think you should just make the assumption that it is the LATTER! BUY IT NOW!
As I was paying…I happened to notice Mr. Boston (who is very cute, with a nice smile and much shorter in person than he looked on TV) was walking right past MOI! So, I just stood there, smiled and welcomed him to Chicago (He had luggage, so I assumed he wasn't from CHI-TOWN). I pointed to my ensemble and said that this is fashion in Chicago! He smiled and said, "LOVE THE POINTY-TOED WELLIES!!"
Thought you might enjoy the recipes on this link from WALGREEN's! Who knew they have recipes on their eblast!
Friend, Lori Witz, formerly of Chicago, now of Hilton Head Fame and well-known fashionista was visiting this week. Of course, we met to chat and SHOP!!!! I showed here those very cute booties from Payless and she was hooked!!! And she was wearing a very cute Black Anorak from the Simply Vera Line at KOHL'S! I went online and bought it ASAP! It is adorable!!!!
And I have to tell you all again to got to TARJAY! The Mossimo pointy toed raspberry-toned patent leather (or pleather) ballet flats are such a hit! I wore them this week and EVERY person I met commented on how FAB they were! Plus, the Mary Janes, with ruffle detail in a lavender color appeared in a fashion segment in a local newspaper…..Need I say anything MORE!
I am so glad life is so engaging. I often marvel at the WEALTH of material I have to work with each week!
Kisses, P
Monday, September 8, 2008
For Sale: $1.50
A rather ominous sign was on the porch of the Fraternity house, as we rounded the corner to Jeffrey's new abode! From the street, the House looked like it was the set for the "Munsters" TV show!! The lawn was half mowed, (with Lawn Mower left mid-lawn, as if it had run out of gas or the mower had a better offer!) and there were weeds everywhere. It hadn't rained for a few weeks, so everything looked a bit brown. There were grills (plural???), several refrigerators and ladders sitting on the front porch…As we got out of the car and walked toward the front door, we noticed the FOR SALE sign with the amount posted. After driving 9 hours, I was not amused….in fact, I thought….what the heck?????? It looked like it should be in FORCLOSURE or better yet…CONDEMED!!!!!! Jeffrey seemed excited and started laughing when he saw the sign (a good thing, I guess!). He had the proper upbringing and brought the sign INSIDE, so as not to "horrify other Mom's"!!!! Of course, Jeff just thought the whole thing was so "TYPICAL of college life!" ……it is nice to know that even after all these years of raising boys, I can still be surprised at what is deemed "acceptable" living conditions!
We entered the House to gaze up GINORMOUS garbage cans filled with renovation debris! It turns out they had decided to redo all the bathrooms over the summer break. Jeffrey reminded MOI that he had told MOI this last May, when he was first home and that I remarked that was a GOOD THING! Obviously, that went into the deep recesses of my mind!!! Not in short term memory! So after 4 months, they had one shower completed in one bathroom (six bathrooms in all) and one working toilet in another bathroom. Jeffrey announced that most the bathrooms in the BASEMENT still had to be completed…You can only imagine!!!! So we forged ahead….Jeffrey also announced (interesting how these topics didn't come up during our 9 hours drive-I guess that is because he SLEPT during the entire drive- due to a late night out with friends….one more time before he left for school!! Wouldn't want to spend a night without partying with friends!!!!! These kids really have stamina!!!!) that he was the second to last person to pick a room, due to the Lottery…I am sure he just forgot to put his name in for the LOTTERY! SOOOOOOO…..his room is first one off the Living Room….Jeff and I just looked at each other…O.K., when is this kid going to study???!! Anyway, his room was being used as the storage room for all the building materials!!!! Not so simple to unload the car and move in! The nice thing is that he does have a single….we can only hope that might make a difference!
The next day, the "MEN" set about clearing out the debris (outside dumpster was filled to the brim) and then to paint the room (it was a lovely shade of BLOOD RED). We didn't say anything, Jeffrey thought he wanted a different color (so proud of him!). So, as the Queen of "Linen White," I knew my baby wanted to have his walls just like his room at home. I asked him what color he was thinking about and his reply…ORANGE!
O.K.! I suggested he might want to think about a shade of white and he said that he was tired of that, since our whole house is white! LOVE THAT KID!!!
We also had to find a rug shampoo machine…you all know the drill. Did I mention there wasn't any furniture….But, most importantly, the GINORMOUS Big Screen TV in the Living Room remained PRISTINE! These boys have their priority!
Headed to the Home Depot, my new favorite shop, who knew it had so much! Convinced Jeffrey to really think about that Linen White-it would open up a small space!!!! While Jeff and Jeffrey were debating the paint color choices, I wandered a bit….in the next aisle, noticed a nice Amish fellow looking at door latches (Who knew there were so many to choose from! I will be honest with you, I get very confused about the lifestyles of each of these groups. I thought some made all their own tools….Or don't have electricity! I know..I know..I should be up on all this. I do know that they were Amish (Jeff confirmed this!) but surprised to see them at Home Depot! ). He was there with his young son (about 6 years old). His son kept staring at MOI and so I smiled and tried to look Grandmotherly….not wanting to scare him….And then he kept STARING AT MOI! I finally walked by thinking why isn't he staring at the zillions of shelves of Door Latches. Perhaps, he was looking at my tres chic Gucci Bag!!! Painting supplies in hand and saw that we could also rent a rug shampoo machine, back to the House! The space was small and I didn't pack "Painting ATTIRE," so I was left to help out the best way I know!
It was a beautiful day outside, so headed out to tackle that LAWN! No gardening gloves, but thought it best to use the disposable latex gloves we had purchased to paint. I did a quick assessment and thought it best to move the lawn mower to the collection of "equipment" on the front porch. Noticed that the House didn't have a garage??? Decided not to think too much more about this! Also noticed that the Lawn Mower must have been in that spot for a few weeks!!!! Felt best to work on the weeds, since it was difficult to tell which were weeds and which were not! (Thank goodness, I have paid close attention at all of Pam Benz's Butterfly Garden weeding events. I know that I gave her pause, many times, in my efforts to "beautify" the Butterfly Garden! Get rid of those unattractive plants! But, Pam showed MOI the way and told me that in fact, many of those plants attracted butterflies, so very important for the garden!) I noticed the 6 foot milk weed pods interspersed with the arborvitae and felt it best to start there!! Fortunately, it was dry, so with aggressive tugging, they popped out!! I was really going to town with these and had filled 6 large garbage bags in no time!! I found some lovely ivy and myrtle ground cover underneath. Rounding the house, I was now focusing on the front. Several of the weeds were clumped together, so I knew that I would have to get a good grip (I wonder why I didn't think to go back to Home Depot to buy gardening gloves and tools-it just never entered my mind!) and pull. With great gusto, I bent over and gave it my all….I pulled so hard that I fell back on my tailbone, on a piece of flagstone. I thought I would die! All I could think about was the 9 hour ride HOME! I sat there for several moments…not sure what to do…Scream….or….CRY! Decided the latter!! Still had the other half of the house to go….so pulled myself up and continued the purge!!
All in all filled 14 LARGE yard bags…piled them up at dumpster and PRAYED that they would be picked up for fear that the weeds would find their way to re-root!! I found a broom somewhere and gave the walks a sweep. Decided the front porch needed a FLORAL touch! Headed back to Home Depot for MUMS!! They said HARDY on them..I just hope they are BEER proof!!!
Upon leaving the next day, Jeffrey remarked that several of his "Brothers" were impressed and said that the yard looked great. AND they loved the MUMS!!!!
Returning to reality found myself working a shift at the "Deacon's Closet." It is Thrift operation run by 1st Pres in Evanston. They are open several days a month and take in donations and give them to folks in the community who are in need. I was doing a few extra community service hours for an organization, and so curious to see how it compared to Thrift House. The Church is located about a mile from out shop…so serving a similar demographic. The only difference is that the Thrift House cliental is purchasing the items and the proceeds from those sales goes to pay for programs serving the community. This is a more direct, however, things aren't always so simple! I was there to help the "clients" with choosing their items. Each person gets 5 items per family member, but they all have to come from different categories. Interestingly, t-shirts were the hot items….I was only allowed to let them have only one! I noticed some Fabulous Ferragamo shoes that had been donated. The "clients" gave them a pass. My mind was racing…at Thrift House we practically give t-shirts away…yet we have a huge demand for Ferragamo shoes! (We have very CHIC clients!) Will have to figure out a better system for both groups!!! Maybe a swap-T-shirts for Ferragamo's! I did my best to be helpful and cheerful!! Several "clients" commented that they liked my "Ensemble." So nice to know that good design transcends all economic strata! At the end of my shift, there was a large garbage bag filled with items. One of the woman said that it was a bag for ESCCA, I couldn't believe what I heard. A bag for ESCADA???? All the lovely folks just turned and looked at MOI…NO ESCCA, a place that takes donations of children's clothes. O.K., now how to redeem myself. Asked where it was located and found out it was on my way home, so grabbed the large bag and headed out the door. As I was walking out of the Church, several "clients" asked it I needed help out to my car-so polite! I smiled and said no…and then received the best compliment of all. YOU GO GIRL!!! It just doesn't get any better than this!
Of course, more to report…but MORE IMPORTANTLY…the FALL FASHION SEASON IS IN FULL SWING!!
Had sort of a LONG day at work, no details, but we were experiencing the remnants of the Hurricane. Torrential downpour, so I had driven that day. We are between sessions at school, so the maintenance staff was busy sprucing up the building painting all the walls WHITE!! I didn't realize one of the walls wasn't dry and for some reason managed to brush against it getting my raincoat and suit coat dusted with white paint. It wouldn't be a problem except that they were BLACK! I had offered to drive the intern home (IT WAS POURING and she had far to go-couldn't ride her bike!). So, driving along, I noticed all the white paint on my "ensemble!" Tried to be light hearted about it (naturally, it was one of my ITALIAN ensembles), I laughed and said Turpentine would take it out! Dropping her off, I realized I was close to TARJAY….so, headed there to see if I could find Turpentine and CHECK OUT THE FALL ITEMS! No Turpentine, but headed to the clothes….OH MY GOODNESS! Not so impressed with the Isaac Mizrahi line (I think it is his last line with TARJAY before he heads over to Liz Claiborne!), but the MOSSIMO line is FAB!!!! Picked up a very cool denim-like suit jacket. I think it is denim material, anyway it is a suit with stitching and looks very similar to the Chloe jacket I purchased last spring….At $29.99 BUY IT! They had adorable pencil skirts and great t-shirt tops in black and grey-long-sleeved and perfect for fall!!! BUY THEM! Nice v-neck sweaters-thin, great for layering! BUY THEM!!!! Headed over to the GO International line! Adorable blouses and Anorak jackets!!!!! BUY THEM! Of course, the handbags were next door! I bought all the Botiker ones!! And a few others…One had a Marc by Marc Jacobs look to it! BUY THEM!! And then dashed over to shoes! Some great pointy (but not too pointy) toed Mossimo ballet flats in a deep raspberry patent, with a blending of colors-I am not describing it well-you will see it when you go there!! VERY FAB!!! Also picked up a pair of Mary Jane Patent pumps in a shade of PURPLE! They are fun! BUY THEM!
Filled up my cart and headed out!!!! So next day, headed to Payless….OMG! They have terrific shoes! I bought a Black Patent high heeled Oxford. I am not super crazy about this style shoe, but it is tres chic for the moment, so buy it at Payless and be au courant! It looks so similar to the very expensive ones, so get the look with out the price. The Abate line also has two booties, one patent and one grey suede…buy them both!!!! Truly on a roll…
Saw in O mag, that there is a new line at Carsons!!! (I know Jo Ann is laughing right now!). Headed there on my way home! It is by Victor Alfaro and it is the upscale answer to the Simply Vera line at Kohl's. WHERE ELSE can you get all this market analysis???? It is the same price point as Vera's, with a few items over $200. BUT, it is nicely made and right now, it is all 30% AND, if you don't have a Carson's charge, I think you get an additional 20% if you open a charge!!! RUN to check it out!! O mag recommended the Chunky Knit Jacket. It has kimono sleeves and a honeycomb stitch. For $91…..BUY IT!!! You can throw it over everything and be so CHIC!! They have a nice black Sheath dress…you can always use a few more. SOME fab looking Leather (probably Pleather, but that's even better!) jackets! Great sweaters….Did I say FABULOUS???!!! I think you will be quite pleased!
And last but not least…Jessica Simpson is PRINCESS of the shoes and handbags for fall!!! If you visit www.jessicasimpsoncollection.com and enter the code "WDdiary" at checkout to receive 20% off your entire purchase! Valid until September 30th! Yes, I even read Woman's Day, so you don't have to!!! They have great articles about organizing!!! Too bad, I don't have the time TO FOLLOW THEIR SUGGESTIONS!
And truly last but not least…..
Both my boys do their best to make their mother proud!
Jeffrey sends in a recent email (which alone is something to admire!!!! Contacting the parents!!), and I quote, "…everything has been going well, I have planned some successful rushing events as social chair, they say I'm the best they have seen in years."
Charlie is now in Japan, for a year, teaching English in two Japanese Jr. High Schools. He is part of the JET program, a Japanese government program that brings foreigners to remote cities in Japan (well that really isn't the program, but that is more of the reality!) He is living in Hamatonbetsu, the northern most point in Hokkaido, across the water from SIBERIA! All you Tokyoites might enjoy reliving your first few months in Japan by visiting Charlie's blog. It is interesting to see what our kids are doing, with that experience early in their lives!!!
http://leftinfront.wordpress.com/
Happy Fall!!!
Love, P
We entered the House to gaze up GINORMOUS garbage cans filled with renovation debris! It turns out they had decided to redo all the bathrooms over the summer break. Jeffrey reminded MOI that he had told MOI this last May, when he was first home and that I remarked that was a GOOD THING! Obviously, that went into the deep recesses of my mind!!! Not in short term memory! So after 4 months, they had one shower completed in one bathroom (six bathrooms in all) and one working toilet in another bathroom. Jeffrey announced that most the bathrooms in the BASEMENT still had to be completed…You can only imagine!!!! So we forged ahead….Jeffrey also announced (interesting how these topics didn't come up during our 9 hours drive-I guess that is because he SLEPT during the entire drive- due to a late night out with friends….one more time before he left for school!! Wouldn't want to spend a night without partying with friends!!!!! These kids really have stamina!!!!) that he was the second to last person to pick a room, due to the Lottery…I am sure he just forgot to put his name in for the LOTTERY! SOOOOOOO…..his room is first one off the Living Room….Jeff and I just looked at each other…O.K., when is this kid going to study???!! Anyway, his room was being used as the storage room for all the building materials!!!! Not so simple to unload the car and move in! The nice thing is that he does have a single….we can only hope that might make a difference!
The next day, the "MEN" set about clearing out the debris (outside dumpster was filled to the brim) and then to paint the room (it was a lovely shade of BLOOD RED). We didn't say anything, Jeffrey thought he wanted a different color (so proud of him!). So, as the Queen of "Linen White," I knew my baby wanted to have his walls just like his room at home. I asked him what color he was thinking about and his reply…ORANGE!
O.K.! I suggested he might want to think about a shade of white and he said that he was tired of that, since our whole house is white! LOVE THAT KID!!!
We also had to find a rug shampoo machine…you all know the drill. Did I mention there wasn't any furniture….But, most importantly, the GINORMOUS Big Screen TV in the Living Room remained PRISTINE! These boys have their priority!
Headed to the Home Depot, my new favorite shop, who knew it had so much! Convinced Jeffrey to really think about that Linen White-it would open up a small space!!!! While Jeff and Jeffrey were debating the paint color choices, I wandered a bit….in the next aisle, noticed a nice Amish fellow looking at door latches (Who knew there were so many to choose from! I will be honest with you, I get very confused about the lifestyles of each of these groups. I thought some made all their own tools….Or don't have electricity! I know..I know..I should be up on all this. I do know that they were Amish (Jeff confirmed this!) but surprised to see them at Home Depot! ). He was there with his young son (about 6 years old). His son kept staring at MOI and so I smiled and tried to look Grandmotherly….not wanting to scare him….And then he kept STARING AT MOI! I finally walked by thinking why isn't he staring at the zillions of shelves of Door Latches. Perhaps, he was looking at my tres chic Gucci Bag!!! Painting supplies in hand and saw that we could also rent a rug shampoo machine, back to the House! The space was small and I didn't pack "Painting ATTIRE," so I was left to help out the best way I know!
It was a beautiful day outside, so headed out to tackle that LAWN! No gardening gloves, but thought it best to use the disposable latex gloves we had purchased to paint. I did a quick assessment and thought it best to move the lawn mower to the collection of "equipment" on the front porch. Noticed that the House didn't have a garage??? Decided not to think too much more about this! Also noticed that the Lawn Mower must have been in that spot for a few weeks!!!! Felt best to work on the weeds, since it was difficult to tell which were weeds and which were not! (Thank goodness, I have paid close attention at all of Pam Benz's Butterfly Garden weeding events. I know that I gave her pause, many times, in my efforts to "beautify" the Butterfly Garden! Get rid of those unattractive plants! But, Pam showed MOI the way and told me that in fact, many of those plants attracted butterflies, so very important for the garden!) I noticed the 6 foot milk weed pods interspersed with the arborvitae and felt it best to start there!! Fortunately, it was dry, so with aggressive tugging, they popped out!! I was really going to town with these and had filled 6 large garbage bags in no time!! I found some lovely ivy and myrtle ground cover underneath. Rounding the house, I was now focusing on the front. Several of the weeds were clumped together, so I knew that I would have to get a good grip (I wonder why I didn't think to go back to Home Depot to buy gardening gloves and tools-it just never entered my mind!) and pull. With great gusto, I bent over and gave it my all….I pulled so hard that I fell back on my tailbone, on a piece of flagstone. I thought I would die! All I could think about was the 9 hour ride HOME! I sat there for several moments…not sure what to do…Scream….or….CRY! Decided the latter!! Still had the other half of the house to go….so pulled myself up and continued the purge!!
All in all filled 14 LARGE yard bags…piled them up at dumpster and PRAYED that they would be picked up for fear that the weeds would find their way to re-root!! I found a broom somewhere and gave the walks a sweep. Decided the front porch needed a FLORAL touch! Headed back to Home Depot for MUMS!! They said HARDY on them..I just hope they are BEER proof!!!
Upon leaving the next day, Jeffrey remarked that several of his "Brothers" were impressed and said that the yard looked great. AND they loved the MUMS!!!!
Returning to reality found myself working a shift at the "Deacon's Closet." It is Thrift operation run by 1st Pres in Evanston. They are open several days a month and take in donations and give them to folks in the community who are in need. I was doing a few extra community service hours for an organization, and so curious to see how it compared to Thrift House. The Church is located about a mile from out shop…so serving a similar demographic. The only difference is that the Thrift House cliental is purchasing the items and the proceeds from those sales goes to pay for programs serving the community. This is a more direct, however, things aren't always so simple! I was there to help the "clients" with choosing their items. Each person gets 5 items per family member, but they all have to come from different categories. Interestingly, t-shirts were the hot items….I was only allowed to let them have only one! I noticed some Fabulous Ferragamo shoes that had been donated. The "clients" gave them a pass. My mind was racing…at Thrift House we practically give t-shirts away…yet we have a huge demand for Ferragamo shoes! (We have very CHIC clients!) Will have to figure out a better system for both groups!!! Maybe a swap-T-shirts for Ferragamo's! I did my best to be helpful and cheerful!! Several "clients" commented that they liked my "Ensemble." So nice to know that good design transcends all economic strata! At the end of my shift, there was a large garbage bag filled with items. One of the woman said that it was a bag for ESCCA, I couldn't believe what I heard. A bag for ESCADA???? All the lovely folks just turned and looked at MOI…NO ESCCA, a place that takes donations of children's clothes. O.K., now how to redeem myself. Asked where it was located and found out it was on my way home, so grabbed the large bag and headed out the door. As I was walking out of the Church, several "clients" asked it I needed help out to my car-so polite! I smiled and said no…and then received the best compliment of all. YOU GO GIRL!!! It just doesn't get any better than this!
Of course, more to report…but MORE IMPORTANTLY…the FALL FASHION SEASON IS IN FULL SWING!!
Had sort of a LONG day at work, no details, but we were experiencing the remnants of the Hurricane. Torrential downpour, so I had driven that day. We are between sessions at school, so the maintenance staff was busy sprucing up the building painting all the walls WHITE!! I didn't realize one of the walls wasn't dry and for some reason managed to brush against it getting my raincoat and suit coat dusted with white paint. It wouldn't be a problem except that they were BLACK! I had offered to drive the intern home (IT WAS POURING and she had far to go-couldn't ride her bike!). So, driving along, I noticed all the white paint on my "ensemble!" Tried to be light hearted about it (naturally, it was one of my ITALIAN ensembles), I laughed and said Turpentine would take it out! Dropping her off, I realized I was close to TARJAY….so, headed there to see if I could find Turpentine and CHECK OUT THE FALL ITEMS! No Turpentine, but headed to the clothes….OH MY GOODNESS! Not so impressed with the Isaac Mizrahi line (I think it is his last line with TARJAY before he heads over to Liz Claiborne!), but the MOSSIMO line is FAB!!!! Picked up a very cool denim-like suit jacket. I think it is denim material, anyway it is a suit with stitching and looks very similar to the Chloe jacket I purchased last spring….At $29.99 BUY IT! They had adorable pencil skirts and great t-shirt tops in black and grey-long-sleeved and perfect for fall!!! BUY THEM! Nice v-neck sweaters-thin, great for layering! BUY THEM!!!! Headed over to the GO International line! Adorable blouses and Anorak jackets!!!!! BUY THEM! Of course, the handbags were next door! I bought all the Botiker ones!! And a few others…One had a Marc by Marc Jacobs look to it! BUY THEM!! And then dashed over to shoes! Some great pointy (but not too pointy) toed Mossimo ballet flats in a deep raspberry patent, with a blending of colors-I am not describing it well-you will see it when you go there!! VERY FAB!!! Also picked up a pair of Mary Jane Patent pumps in a shade of PURPLE! They are fun! BUY THEM!
Filled up my cart and headed out!!!! So next day, headed to Payless….OMG! They have terrific shoes! I bought a Black Patent high heeled Oxford. I am not super crazy about this style shoe, but it is tres chic for the moment, so buy it at Payless and be au courant! It looks so similar to the very expensive ones, so get the look with out the price. The Abate line also has two booties, one patent and one grey suede…buy them both!!!! Truly on a roll…
Saw in O mag, that there is a new line at Carsons!!! (I know Jo Ann is laughing right now!). Headed there on my way home! It is by Victor Alfaro and it is the upscale answer to the Simply Vera line at Kohl's. WHERE ELSE can you get all this market analysis???? It is the same price point as Vera's, with a few items over $200. BUT, it is nicely made and right now, it is all 30% AND, if you don't have a Carson's charge, I think you get an additional 20% if you open a charge!!! RUN to check it out!! O mag recommended the Chunky Knit Jacket. It has kimono sleeves and a honeycomb stitch. For $91…..BUY IT!!! You can throw it over everything and be so CHIC!! They have a nice black Sheath dress…you can always use a few more. SOME fab looking Leather (probably Pleather, but that's even better!) jackets! Great sweaters….Did I say FABULOUS???!!! I think you will be quite pleased!
And last but not least…Jessica Simpson is PRINCESS of the shoes and handbags for fall!!! If you visit www.jessicasimpsoncollection.com and enter the code "WDdiary" at checkout to receive 20% off your entire purchase! Valid until September 30th! Yes, I even read Woman's Day, so you don't have to!!! They have great articles about organizing!!! Too bad, I don't have the time TO FOLLOW THEIR SUGGESTIONS!
And truly last but not least…..
Both my boys do their best to make their mother proud!
Jeffrey sends in a recent email (which alone is something to admire!!!! Contacting the parents!!), and I quote, "…everything has been going well, I have planned some successful rushing events as social chair, they say I'm the best they have seen in years."
Charlie is now in Japan, for a year, teaching English in two Japanese Jr. High Schools. He is part of the JET program, a Japanese government program that brings foreigners to remote cities in Japan (well that really isn't the program, but that is more of the reality!) He is living in Hamatonbetsu, the northern most point in Hokkaido, across the water from SIBERIA! All you Tokyoites might enjoy reliving your first few months in Japan by visiting Charlie's blog. It is interesting to see what our kids are doing, with that experience early in their lives!!!
http://leftinfront.wordpress.com/
Happy Fall!!!
Love, P
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