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
Monday, October 27, 2008
“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
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Ikebana for all!
It certainly was a week for TV! Thanks to dear friend Kate who watched my debut on cable TV. She sent an email that I was A. O.K., at least I didn't embarrass myself! I couldn't wait for the IT guy to bring in the tape…he had forgotten the first day…..(It airs three times a week),,HONESTLY..I WAS DYING TO SEE THE VIDEO!!!! The show runs for a half-hour. SO GLAD I took Charla's advice and wore that nude lipstick, with a light pink color. It really DOES make you look younger!!! Fortunately, the camera wasn't too close, so those wrinkles weren't so visible!! Will let you know when it is up on Youtube!!!
Such a Video world!!!
Ikebana has arrived at the Art Center!! Ye of little faith have now seen the light! All the "artists" at the center (including my boss), were dismissive of my claims that Ikebana is truly a visual art form! How Silly!! As you all know, I have been making those arrangements to welcome folks to the Art Center. The Director of Education was quite taken with them and wanted to have classes in them at the Art Center! Score 1 for Paula!
I talked with my Sensei, Mrs. Baily, and she thought it would be wonderful to teach classes! We have a group of 8 (o.k., so I am paying for three of the interns to take the class! They wouldn't let it run unless we had 8!!) and they started this week. We set them up in one of the galleries, since they weren't sure if the class would be filled or not, so they didn't assign classroom space…Again, YE OF LITTLE FAITH! It turned out to be the perfect space, since the gallery is located right next to the kitchen-great for clean up!!
It was so much fun to see everyone starting to learn Ikebana!! It brought back so many memories! The interns loved it! And they did a fantastic job!! My boss came running to find MOI (I am going to take it next session-no time this time!) and was very excited!! He was thrilled to see what they were doing! He even ran to get his camera to take photos to use on the website and in future marketing material!! One small step for the Art Center…A GIANT LEAP for IKEBANA!
Once again find myself volunteering at Thrift House…just can't seem to stay away. A management change, so helping out with pricing and getting ready for the Fall Opening on August 21st! In my ZEAL to be organized, I decided it was time to go through those shoes and handbags. A look through my closet, required some purging there too! So, I ended up having a rather large load to take with MOI as I headed there on Saturday morning. We had planned to have a group meet there (I was late, comme d'habitude! But, I was buying the Lattes!) and I arrived to find 10 women busy sorting and pricing! FORMIDABLE! This was terrific! Not wanting to stop all the activity, I started bringing my boxes down to the basement where they were all assembled! They inquired as to the donor of the merchandise, hoping it might be a cut above the Vintage Talbot suits they were currently pricing!! I told them it was mine and suddenly….all activity stopped! 10 women started to hover over the box..waiting to see what was inside, Upon opening, it was the purse box….the first purse was pulled out of the box and into a woman's hand….never to see the pricing gun. I was a bit surprised..actually, sort of embarrassed, since I was not sure the next boxes would surpass the expectations and the excitement! I ran upstairs to bring down the other boxes, leaving the ladies to look for themselves! Down came the box of shoes. "What Size??" "10 or 40 ½" Another group dove in….Then came the clothes…which I hung on an available rack….. "Oh, here is bag of jewelry." Another group dove in! I took the Coffee orders and could see everyone was eyeing the items on the rack. They were WAITING FOR MOI TO LEAVE!!!! One woman remarked, we should have a "Worn by Paula" corner-might boost sales! I just laughed and left to work upstairs….At the end of the shift…each woman came upstairs with a bag of "Previously worn by Paula" to purchase!! It just doesn't get any better than this!!!!
Hard to believe we are into August…time to make the most of all your summer clothes…Fall will be close by and time for those "transition" clothes (always difficult!! You don't want to look like SUMMER when it is FALL…even though is 70 degrees outside!) Neimans lists the following must haves for Fall:
Something in berry colors-cranberry and grape are perfect!
Something Satin-a blouse would be PERFECT! Why not in a berry color!!
High-Vamp heels-very modern, most have a stiletto heel, but they don't have to be too high! They are pointy-toed, look like a low boot. Must wear with tights! But, can wear with pencil skirts, full skirts and that shift dress you bought for summer!
Lace- Something in a handbag or blouse. I found a long jacket and am thinking about a pencil skirt! Make sure it is fitted!
Sleek shapes..get that oversized clutch that is long and narrow! The tunic dress works well, make sure it hits at or just below the knee. Try a fitted longer jacket over narrow pants…It look is simple and elegant!! Don't embellish!
Romantic Blouses-great place to combine with the lace. I found a white blouse with a ruffle! PERFECT!
Statement Jewelry! Bring it on!!! The bigger the better! A fabulous necklace by Alexis Bittar-made of Lucite, agate, Swarovski crystals! "THEY" SAY….you can glom it on! I SAY, stick to one big piece….THOSE "THEY" FOLKS are young!
Happy Shopping!!
Love, P
Such a Video world!!!
Ikebana has arrived at the Art Center!! Ye of little faith have now seen the light! All the "artists" at the center (including my boss), were dismissive of my claims that Ikebana is truly a visual art form! How Silly!! As you all know, I have been making those arrangements to welcome folks to the Art Center. The Director of Education was quite taken with them and wanted to have classes in them at the Art Center! Score 1 for Paula!
I talked with my Sensei, Mrs. Baily, and she thought it would be wonderful to teach classes! We have a group of 8 (o.k., so I am paying for three of the interns to take the class! They wouldn't let it run unless we had 8!!) and they started this week. We set them up in one of the galleries, since they weren't sure if the class would be filled or not, so they didn't assign classroom space…Again, YE OF LITTLE FAITH! It turned out to be the perfect space, since the gallery is located right next to the kitchen-great for clean up!!
It was so much fun to see everyone starting to learn Ikebana!! It brought back so many memories! The interns loved it! And they did a fantastic job!! My boss came running to find MOI (I am going to take it next session-no time this time!) and was very excited!! He was thrilled to see what they were doing! He even ran to get his camera to take photos to use on the website and in future marketing material!! One small step for the Art Center…A GIANT LEAP for IKEBANA!
Once again find myself volunteering at Thrift House…just can't seem to stay away. A management change, so helping out with pricing and getting ready for the Fall Opening on August 21st! In my ZEAL to be organized, I decided it was time to go through those shoes and handbags. A look through my closet, required some purging there too! So, I ended up having a rather large load to take with MOI as I headed there on Saturday morning. We had planned to have a group meet there (I was late, comme d'habitude! But, I was buying the Lattes!) and I arrived to find 10 women busy sorting and pricing! FORMIDABLE! This was terrific! Not wanting to stop all the activity, I started bringing my boxes down to the basement where they were all assembled! They inquired as to the donor of the merchandise, hoping it might be a cut above the Vintage Talbot suits they were currently pricing!! I told them it was mine and suddenly….all activity stopped! 10 women started to hover over the box..waiting to see what was inside, Upon opening, it was the purse box….the first purse was pulled out of the box and into a woman's hand….never to see the pricing gun. I was a bit surprised..actually, sort of embarrassed, since I was not sure the next boxes would surpass the expectations and the excitement! I ran upstairs to bring down the other boxes, leaving the ladies to look for themselves! Down came the box of shoes. "What Size??" "10 or 40 ½" Another group dove in….Then came the clothes…which I hung on an available rack….. "Oh, here is bag of jewelry." Another group dove in! I took the Coffee orders and could see everyone was eyeing the items on the rack. They were WAITING FOR MOI TO LEAVE!!!! One woman remarked, we should have a "Worn by Paula" corner-might boost sales! I just laughed and left to work upstairs….At the end of the shift…each woman came upstairs with a bag of "Previously worn by Paula" to purchase!! It just doesn't get any better than this!!!!
Hard to believe we are into August…time to make the most of all your summer clothes…Fall will be close by and time for those "transition" clothes (always difficult!! You don't want to look like SUMMER when it is FALL…even though is 70 degrees outside!) Neimans lists the following must haves for Fall:
Something in berry colors-cranberry and grape are perfect!
Something Satin-a blouse would be PERFECT! Why not in a berry color!!
High-Vamp heels-very modern, most have a stiletto heel, but they don't have to be too high! They are pointy-toed, look like a low boot. Must wear with tights! But, can wear with pencil skirts, full skirts and that shift dress you bought for summer!
Lace- Something in a handbag or blouse. I found a long jacket and am thinking about a pencil skirt! Make sure it is fitted!
Sleek shapes..get that oversized clutch that is long and narrow! The tunic dress works well, make sure it hits at or just below the knee. Try a fitted longer jacket over narrow pants…It look is simple and elegant!! Don't embellish!
Romantic Blouses-great place to combine with the lace. I found a white blouse with a ruffle! PERFECT!
Statement Jewelry! Bring it on!!! The bigger the better! A fabulous necklace by Alexis Bittar-made of Lucite, agate, Swarovski crystals! "THEY" SAY….you can glom it on! I SAY, stick to one big piece….THOSE "THEY" FOLKS are young!
Happy Shopping!!
Love, P
"I bet you never had to do this at your last job!"
Au Contraire! As you all know….when you get to be MY AGE…there just isn't too much that you haven't done in the working world-short of hitting the Executive Suite!
As I have said in the past….all these non-profits SAVE everything! Not that it is a bad thing…..but, as we all know…most non-profits have limited space….so saving THINGS, is a huge problem. And here is the other thing, as these non-profits continue to grow…MORE STUFF! Thank goodness all those years at Thrift House have come in handy!! At least I KNOW how to pick through a bag of stuff and find the true gem!!! The Art Center is full of "treasures!!" Who knew artists could be such pack rats!! I know it comes from that "Starving Artist" mentality that many seem to possess…although, several of them drive very spiffy cars, which makes it difficult to see them as STARVING… It is true, that very few truly make a living as a professional artist and to this I can relate!! Just like anything that our kids try to do…very few make it to the top…whether it is sports or the arts. Thank goodness there is a wide open field for academics…although, the college acceptance process leaves a bit to be desired, but still…your odds are better with higher ed!!!
Which brings me back to the Clutter!! It really became apparent when we were setting up for the Spring Benefit a few weeks back…..They always put Christmas tree lights on the bushes at the front of the Center. A nice touch, I thought. We were also looking for the two coat racks….Upon Inquiry of both items…I was told to go up and look in the attic. Never having ventured into that space…I was a bit curious! The Art Center is filled with many closets, rooms and all those bathrooms….but, never had I ventured into the "Attic!" Unlocking the door…I was not quite sure what to expect….artwork from the 20's, treasures, records, furniture??? As I opened the door…I was surprised to see that it was so filled…I couldn't see ANYTHING! Just like home! Truly, working in this mansion is a bit like living at home!!! Things are never totally clean, although the staff is pretty good about doing their own dishes (this is the only workplace where they DON'T have the sign "Clean up after yourself. Your mother doesn't work here." Not only is that a charming sign, but TRUE!!
I spend a good part of my day picking up stray pieces of paper, closing doors, turning out lights…YOU ALL KNOW THE DRILL! But, the attic….a very special place. SOOOOOOOO…since I couldn't even step into the attic….it was off to hardware store for lights-Thank goodness for Harold's Hardware on Central street…They went into their storage attic and found several boxes for MOI!!!! I couldn't locate the coats racks, but fortunately, it was a warm night!! Although a mix up with umbrellas, left a board member most distressed that someone had taken her $$$$ umbrella by MISTAKE!!! I would hope it was a mistake…if you are going to take something…it really wouldn't be an umbrella….I offered to buy her another one (she was very upset), but she said no-it was more upsetting, since it was her favorite. I can relate to this!!
Fast forward to the Exhibition openings!! So far, the weather in CHI-TOWN has been cooperating-raining like heck, but at night!! This also makes it much more pleasant when riding the bicycle!!! But, we didn't want to take a chance with the outdoor sculpture opening, so I inquired as to the whereabouts of the two "EZ-UP" tents. AGAIN....I was told to search in the "Attic!" Now, I don't mind buying Christmas tree lights…but, tents…just didn't want to go there!! Now don't ask MOI why, but again, I thought I should just go and check in the attic. Did I think that it was magically cleared out and cleaned up in the week between events???? Of course, it was the same!! I couldn't see any tents (although to be honest-I wasn't sure what an "EZ-UP" tent looked like! SOOOOOOO…. Went to report the information to my boss…who became distressed at this news. The two tents are for our art students to use at the Evanston Farmers Market, as part of the "Home Grown" Artists program. We get to set up two tents during 4 Saturdays in July and August-Stay tuned for that experience!! So, as you can imagine, my boss was most upset, since we will be using them soon and they were very $$$$. Of course, since I am ALWAYS working on a very short TIME LINE and needed them NOW…….So, I just went upstairs and called House of Rental and rented a tent!! I mean, what's a gal to do!! When you need a tent, you need a tent!!! Of course, doing this without a budget means that one has to be "creative" when one is PAYING for these things!!! Thank goodness for that understanding Jeff!!! House of Rental is easier to justify than NEIMANS!!!
SOOOOOOO…this week, "THEY," obviously, without consulting MOI, decided to rent a dumpster and empty out the attic, so we could actually find things!! Now, this wouldn't have been the week that I would have picked, but so be it! I arrived ready to clean and carry. The attic is on the third floor (no elevator), so lots of up and down those stairs. Here is the thing though-I am the youngest of the old at work. A nice distinction, but not when it comes to hauling!! The graphic artist is 30, but she was relegated to cleaning out the "still life" prop closet. Truly, something that I would not be qualified to do-having not painted a still life since 1969! And speaking of 1969-don't we always!! We had a reception last week (see, it has been very busy at the Art Center, which is why I am STILL so behind in everything!!!), for all the school art teachers and faculty. It was a lovely reception and fun to put some faces with emails. However, the most thrilling thing was that my Art Teacher from 7th and 8th grade was there! Mrs. Bougeois! She looks the same! She has to be pushing early 70's!! I was so shocked!! I told her that I stare at my "Giraffe" art project every day!! It is a lovely design on burlap, of a hand-stitched giraffe, and I was so clever that I used different stitches and colors for the spots. I kept everything in "safari" colors, except for a red mouth, that looks as if the giraffe is smiling!!! Patsy and Charles had foresight to have this lovely piece framed and it has managed to stay with MOI all these years! I am thinking about bringing in to the office! It might look nice on my wall there!! Of course, in describing this piece to Mrs. Bougeois, it met with a blank stare, but she did at least acknowledge that she was thrilled that I had stopped to chat!! Then, she proceeded to tell MOI that she and her husband had spent so many hours putting together notebooks of slides and pictures of exhibitions at the Art Center in the 60's and 70's (this was before the Big Attic Day). I smiled and told her that I was 99% certain that those boxes of notebooks were STILL IN THE ATTIC! She seemed relieved!!!
I was assigned, "Hauling Duty," since A. I was the youngest of the old. B. I don't have back or knee problems (was thinking of pulling that arthritic toe routine) and C. I have the ability to work and actually FINISH the job!! Everyone pitched in during the first few hours…Out went lots of STUFF…. I felt like I was on one of those Reality TV shows where they clean up the clutter. MEANWHILE….I STILL haven't been able to get through all the boxes that I inherited when I took over the job…so, my office still looks like a Tornado hit it!! And with several big deadlines approaching July 1st….not sure it is going to get organized in the near future!! So up and down I went…hour after hour….several of the "older" folks dropped out. I noticed one staff member sneaking back into her office to do emails. We really were making progress. Maybe there really is something to the Dumpster for Day thing! It does force you to make quick decisions and no going back!! Plus, it really does take it out of you-so no desire to do it for more than a full day!! We finally created a path in the attic. AND LO AND BEHOLD….the Christmas lights appeared…then several more trips, the Coat Racks..then…the Holy Grail…Not One, but TWO tents! HOORAY!! But, still more nooks and crannies…I started pulling out boxes and boxes of spot lights! I guess someone FORGOT that they were up there. They are always burning out and cost $$$. Who knew that spot lights could be so expensive??!! Each gallery has 10-15 in them and they are motion sensors, but still burn out quickly. In all, 10 boxes of lights! This paid for the dumpster!!
And PHEW, at least they aren't going to ask MOI to find a grant to pay for the lights!! "Paula, We NEED LIGHTS!!"
Although, fun to find the lights…still not really the "treasure" I was searching for! I have to still make budget by year end, August 31st, so looking for something to sell on Ebay, really would be fun!! And as you can imagine, by this time, it is MOI alone in the attic thinking I was going to have an Asthma attack from all the dust and that I really should be doing the same thing in my own home!! I was going through some old picture frames and there it was….an original by one of our faculty members, who has passed away, but was a well-known artist. Unfortunately, there had been some damage to the canvas…but, STILL! I went running down the stairs to tell my boss! Since he had become involved in something else..VERY IMPORTANT….several hours ago and had stopped the "hauling" effort-although, he was very appreciative of my efforts!! It was quite a find! He thinks we can repair the damage and we are going to contact some of the artist's past students to see of their interest!! STAY TUNED!!!!!
Of course, last week was one of those…where you can't find anything..because you can't REMEMBER where you last had it…..I lost and found my cell phone several times…But, what I truly find amazing is that I heard a Bee Gees song and knew all the words!!!!!
Dear friend (well, I feel like she is a friend), Charla Krupp, author of How Not to Look Old fame, writes a fashion article for More Magazine. She replaced Kim Goss, of whatever those books were in the 90's that told you how to dress and do lots of things…see…can't remember the name, mentioned in her last article about "Business Women" wearing nude hose. Of course, as a FORMER nude hose wearer-this piqued my interest. Charla writes, "Going bare-legged in summer has been the rule in the fashion world for years. We've nixed the pantyhose, but made sure our naked legs looked good using leg sprays and self-tanners. In offices around the country, though, a lot of women still wear nude hose even on the hottest days. This I discovered, isn't always because of a corporate dress code; sometimes it just makes women physically comfortable." She goes on to state that senior executive women feel nude hose makes them look more polished and that you will be taken more seriously. Be still my heart!! Here we go again!! Haven't we been able to make strides in the business world that takes us for what we are, not what we WEAR!!! Oh my! I can see there is still work to be done!! Here is my challenge…..I have to go in front of the State of Illinois Art Council on Tuesday to answer any questions about our big annual grant (YIKES…I had better find the copy of the GRANT!)…I was planning on wearing a suit, of course, but should I or shouldn't I wear panty hose!! Email MOI you opinions! You can vote YEAH! or NAY! in the subject line!! Stay tuned next week for results!!
All that treasure hunting led MOI to shopping!! So busy, so spent most of my time ONLINE!
Michael Stars has some great new styles for summer. I bought a belted vest in silver-very Fab, plus lots of great t-shirts in fun colors! They seem to hold up the best and still remain fitted, after many washing!!!
Friend Shawna let me know about sales on handbags at:
http://www.mzwallace.com/
Fab Selection!!!
Check out the shoes on sale at Barneys: http://www.barneys.com/Sale
www.Vivre.com was having a mid-week sale on some of their items, check it out!!!
For you sport gals: www.skirtsports.com has some FAB skirts/shorts combos that you can RUN in!! LOVE THEM!!!
Fun Jewelry at www.winknyc.com Go to the jewelry page-it is a bit young, but nice earrings and a cool starfish cuff!!!!
Fabulous necklaces at www.bananarepublic.com look for ones that have wood in them and also a geometric design!
ArtWear t-shirts from www.crystalrock.com They are fitted and longer (a plus!). A bit pricey at $143, but Hey, Madonna wears them!! I ordered the Geisha one!!!
And how did we LIVE before this website: richrocksnyc.com What could be better than Rich Rocks!! So many FAB pieces to choose from..o.k., so they use crystals, CZ's and gold-plating…but, a whole lot of style for not so many $$$! Love the 3-tone hanging disc earrings for $90! A great pair to wear with EVERYTHING!!!!
And Nars cosmetics, another great lip gloss (I hope you all have that Orgasm already), this one is Supervixen!! Double FAB!
Happy Shopping, Cleaning and having FUN!
Love, P
As I have said in the past….all these non-profits SAVE everything! Not that it is a bad thing…..but, as we all know…most non-profits have limited space….so saving THINGS, is a huge problem. And here is the other thing, as these non-profits continue to grow…MORE STUFF! Thank goodness all those years at Thrift House have come in handy!! At least I KNOW how to pick through a bag of stuff and find the true gem!!! The Art Center is full of "treasures!!" Who knew artists could be such pack rats!! I know it comes from that "Starving Artist" mentality that many seem to possess…although, several of them drive very spiffy cars, which makes it difficult to see them as STARVING… It is true, that very few truly make a living as a professional artist and to this I can relate!! Just like anything that our kids try to do…very few make it to the top…whether it is sports or the arts. Thank goodness there is a wide open field for academics…although, the college acceptance process leaves a bit to be desired, but still…your odds are better with higher ed!!!
Which brings me back to the Clutter!! It really became apparent when we were setting up for the Spring Benefit a few weeks back…..They always put Christmas tree lights on the bushes at the front of the Center. A nice touch, I thought. We were also looking for the two coat racks….Upon Inquiry of both items…I was told to go up and look in the attic. Never having ventured into that space…I was a bit curious! The Art Center is filled with many closets, rooms and all those bathrooms….but, never had I ventured into the "Attic!" Unlocking the door…I was not quite sure what to expect….artwork from the 20's, treasures, records, furniture??? As I opened the door…I was surprised to see that it was so filled…I couldn't see ANYTHING! Just like home! Truly, working in this mansion is a bit like living at home!!! Things are never totally clean, although the staff is pretty good about doing their own dishes (this is the only workplace where they DON'T have the sign "Clean up after yourself. Your mother doesn't work here." Not only is that a charming sign, but TRUE!!
I spend a good part of my day picking up stray pieces of paper, closing doors, turning out lights…YOU ALL KNOW THE DRILL! But, the attic….a very special place. SOOOOOOOO…since I couldn't even step into the attic….it was off to hardware store for lights-Thank goodness for Harold's Hardware on Central street…They went into their storage attic and found several boxes for MOI!!!! I couldn't locate the coats racks, but fortunately, it was a warm night!! Although a mix up with umbrellas, left a board member most distressed that someone had taken her $$$$ umbrella by MISTAKE!!! I would hope it was a mistake…if you are going to take something…it really wouldn't be an umbrella….I offered to buy her another one (she was very upset), but she said no-it was more upsetting, since it was her favorite. I can relate to this!!
Fast forward to the Exhibition openings!! So far, the weather in CHI-TOWN has been cooperating-raining like heck, but at night!! This also makes it much more pleasant when riding the bicycle!!! But, we didn't want to take a chance with the outdoor sculpture opening, so I inquired as to the whereabouts of the two "EZ-UP" tents. AGAIN....I was told to search in the "Attic!" Now, I don't mind buying Christmas tree lights…but, tents…just didn't want to go there!! Now don't ask MOI why, but again, I thought I should just go and check in the attic. Did I think that it was magically cleared out and cleaned up in the week between events???? Of course, it was the same!! I couldn't see any tents (although to be honest-I wasn't sure what an "EZ-UP" tent looked like! SOOOOOOO…. Went to report the information to my boss…who became distressed at this news. The two tents are for our art students to use at the Evanston Farmers Market, as part of the "Home Grown" Artists program. We get to set up two tents during 4 Saturdays in July and August-Stay tuned for that experience!! So, as you can imagine, my boss was most upset, since we will be using them soon and they were very $$$$. Of course, since I am ALWAYS working on a very short TIME LINE and needed them NOW…….So, I just went upstairs and called House of Rental and rented a tent!! I mean, what's a gal to do!! When you need a tent, you need a tent!!! Of course, doing this without a budget means that one has to be "creative" when one is PAYING for these things!!! Thank goodness for that understanding Jeff!!! House of Rental is easier to justify than NEIMANS!!!
SOOOOOOO…this week, "THEY," obviously, without consulting MOI, decided to rent a dumpster and empty out the attic, so we could actually find things!! Now, this wouldn't have been the week that I would have picked, but so be it! I arrived ready to clean and carry. The attic is on the third floor (no elevator), so lots of up and down those stairs. Here is the thing though-I am the youngest of the old at work. A nice distinction, but not when it comes to hauling!! The graphic artist is 30, but she was relegated to cleaning out the "still life" prop closet. Truly, something that I would not be qualified to do-having not painted a still life since 1969! And speaking of 1969-don't we always!! We had a reception last week (see, it has been very busy at the Art Center, which is why I am STILL so behind in everything!!!), for all the school art teachers and faculty. It was a lovely reception and fun to put some faces with emails. However, the most thrilling thing was that my Art Teacher from 7th and 8th grade was there! Mrs. Bougeois! She looks the same! She has to be pushing early 70's!! I was so shocked!! I told her that I stare at my "Giraffe" art project every day!! It is a lovely design on burlap, of a hand-stitched giraffe, and I was so clever that I used different stitches and colors for the spots. I kept everything in "safari" colors, except for a red mouth, that looks as if the giraffe is smiling!!! Patsy and Charles had foresight to have this lovely piece framed and it has managed to stay with MOI all these years! I am thinking about bringing in to the office! It might look nice on my wall there!! Of course, in describing this piece to Mrs. Bougeois, it met with a blank stare, but she did at least acknowledge that she was thrilled that I had stopped to chat!! Then, she proceeded to tell MOI that she and her husband had spent so many hours putting together notebooks of slides and pictures of exhibitions at the Art Center in the 60's and 70's (this was before the Big Attic Day). I smiled and told her that I was 99% certain that those boxes of notebooks were STILL IN THE ATTIC! She seemed relieved!!!
I was assigned, "Hauling Duty," since A. I was the youngest of the old. B. I don't have back or knee problems (was thinking of pulling that arthritic toe routine) and C. I have the ability to work and actually FINISH the job!! Everyone pitched in during the first few hours…Out went lots of STUFF…. I felt like I was on one of those Reality TV shows where they clean up the clutter. MEANWHILE….I STILL haven't been able to get through all the boxes that I inherited when I took over the job…so, my office still looks like a Tornado hit it!! And with several big deadlines approaching July 1st….not sure it is going to get organized in the near future!! So up and down I went…hour after hour….several of the "older" folks dropped out. I noticed one staff member sneaking back into her office to do emails. We really were making progress. Maybe there really is something to the Dumpster for Day thing! It does force you to make quick decisions and no going back!! Plus, it really does take it out of you-so no desire to do it for more than a full day!! We finally created a path in the attic. AND LO AND BEHOLD….the Christmas lights appeared…then several more trips, the Coat Racks..then…the Holy Grail…Not One, but TWO tents! HOORAY!! But, still more nooks and crannies…I started pulling out boxes and boxes of spot lights! I guess someone FORGOT that they were up there. They are always burning out and cost $$$. Who knew that spot lights could be so expensive??!! Each gallery has 10-15 in them and they are motion sensors, but still burn out quickly. In all, 10 boxes of lights! This paid for the dumpster!!
And PHEW, at least they aren't going to ask MOI to find a grant to pay for the lights!! "Paula, We NEED LIGHTS!!"
Although, fun to find the lights…still not really the "treasure" I was searching for! I have to still make budget by year end, August 31st, so looking for something to sell on Ebay, really would be fun!! And as you can imagine, by this time, it is MOI alone in the attic thinking I was going to have an Asthma attack from all the dust and that I really should be doing the same thing in my own home!! I was going through some old picture frames and there it was….an original by one of our faculty members, who has passed away, but was a well-known artist. Unfortunately, there had been some damage to the canvas…but, STILL! I went running down the stairs to tell my boss! Since he had become involved in something else..VERY IMPORTANT….several hours ago and had stopped the "hauling" effort-although, he was very appreciative of my efforts!! It was quite a find! He thinks we can repair the damage and we are going to contact some of the artist's past students to see of their interest!! STAY TUNED!!!!!
Of course, last week was one of those…where you can't find anything..because you can't REMEMBER where you last had it…..I lost and found my cell phone several times…But, what I truly find amazing is that I heard a Bee Gees song and knew all the words!!!!!
Dear friend (well, I feel like she is a friend), Charla Krupp, author of How Not to Look Old fame, writes a fashion article for More Magazine. She replaced Kim Goss, of whatever those books were in the 90's that told you how to dress and do lots of things…see…can't remember the name, mentioned in her last article about "Business Women" wearing nude hose. Of course, as a FORMER nude hose wearer-this piqued my interest. Charla writes, "Going bare-legged in summer has been the rule in the fashion world for years. We've nixed the pantyhose, but made sure our naked legs looked good using leg sprays and self-tanners. In offices around the country, though, a lot of women still wear nude hose even on the hottest days. This I discovered, isn't always because of a corporate dress code; sometimes it just makes women physically comfortable." She goes on to state that senior executive women feel nude hose makes them look more polished and that you will be taken more seriously. Be still my heart!! Here we go again!! Haven't we been able to make strides in the business world that takes us for what we are, not what we WEAR!!! Oh my! I can see there is still work to be done!! Here is my challenge…..I have to go in front of the State of Illinois Art Council on Tuesday to answer any questions about our big annual grant (YIKES…I had better find the copy of the GRANT!)…I was planning on wearing a suit, of course, but should I or shouldn't I wear panty hose!! Email MOI you opinions! You can vote YEAH! or NAY! in the subject line!! Stay tuned next week for results!!
All that treasure hunting led MOI to shopping!! So busy, so spent most of my time ONLINE!
Michael Stars has some great new styles for summer. I bought a belted vest in silver-very Fab, plus lots of great t-shirts in fun colors! They seem to hold up the best and still remain fitted, after many washing!!!
Friend Shawna let me know about sales on handbags at:
http://www.mzwallace.com/
Fab Selection!!!
Check out the shoes on sale at Barneys: http://www.barneys.com/Sale
www.Vivre.com was having a mid-week sale on some of their items, check it out!!!
For you sport gals: www.skirtsports.com has some FAB skirts/shorts combos that you can RUN in!! LOVE THEM!!!
Fun Jewelry at www.winknyc.com Go to the jewelry page-it is a bit young, but nice earrings and a cool starfish cuff!!!!
Fabulous necklaces at www.bananarepublic.com look for ones that have wood in them and also a geometric design!
ArtWear t-shirts from www.crystalrock.com They are fitted and longer (a plus!). A bit pricey at $143, but Hey, Madonna wears them!! I ordered the Geisha one!!!
And how did we LIVE before this website: richrocksnyc.com What could be better than Rich Rocks!! So many FAB pieces to choose from..o.k., so they use crystals, CZ's and gold-plating…but, a whole lot of style for not so many $$$! Love the 3-tone hanging disc earrings for $90! A great pair to wear with EVERYTHING!!!!
And Nars cosmetics, another great lip gloss (I hope you all have that Orgasm already), this one is Supervixen!! Double FAB!
Happy Shopping, Cleaning and having FUN!
Love, P
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