Hello, girlies! (that's what my great-aunt Beulah used to always call us! haha!)

How is everyone's weekend so far?  today is a beautiful day- sunny and the temperature is just right!  I went out and mowed this afternoon- just hopped out of the shower.  This morning I had a "torture treatment".  (That is my pet-name for BODY WAXING.  )  But, now my legs are smooth for a few weeks!  hooray!  I am determined to stick this out and see if this works for me in the long run- it's always the hardest the first few months getting started and for your growth patterns to get into sync and your hair to start coming in finer, instead of all course and bristly after years-decades!- of shaving.  My skin is so sensitive that I can't even enjoy a walk on the beach in the saltwater without having to run back to the room if I'm freshly shaved (and I have to be in order to be enjoying a walk on the beach!) and rinse the ocean off my now red-rashed legs.  It burns like the dickens!!!  It seems it's gotten worse as I've gotten older.  Does everything get worse with age- or are there some things that get better (besides cheese and wine, that is!)?!?!?!?

So, anywho!  I am going to go throw on some SHORTS  and enjoy this pretty day!!

Toodles!!!

Here's the gorgeous hotel room we stayed in when we were in Branson for our travel business conference.  It's the brand new Hilton on the Landing.

I found this great new product- think I'm going to give it a try if I decide to color (back to thinking about keeping the silver- back and forth, back and forth....): http://www.robertcraig.com/php/index.php

I'm going to at least try the CLEAR to add shine and softness!!

We had a GREAT trip to Branson!  Branson is not really our style- but we stayed in a gorgeous hotel and didn't have to drive after we got there- the conference was in the hotel we stayed in.  We went to a showboat dinner cruise, and that turned out to be a BLAST!!  They had a comedian, Todd Oliver, who made me laugh so hard my jaws hurt and I was bawling!! 

I am also REALLY excited about our business! (that's what the conference was all about)  We have a home-based wholesale travel business, and it is AWESOME.  I'll be sharing more about MY part in our business soon- I have some things in the works that I can't wait to get started with!

Okay- off to my nail appointment!  Ciao!! 

BOOK CLUB TONIGHT!!!!!  I hope to see you guys at 8 PM tonight!!!!!!!  Grab a cup of coffee or tea or a glass of wine, and a snack- and let's CHAT!!!  Click chat link to right ---->---->

Update 8:42 p.m.

Well....Book Club was a bust!!  No one showed.    I guess this isn't going to be a successful way to have a bookclub.  But- I tried!!  Oh, well!!  I hope everyone who did read the book with me enjoyed it!!

Can I just vent??    I know this is supposed to be a "light, fun blog"- but I just need a moment here, and then I'll be fine.  For starters- you know I told you that George had given me a trayful of beautiful tulips for our anniversary?  I had also bought 2 pots of dwarf tulips- and planted them in my front corner bed.  They looked so beautiful!!

Well, last night, SOMEBODY decided to rip out all my tulips and throw them into the street!!!!!  Can you even believe that?!?!?!  And I think I have a pretty good idea WHO.  You see, we have this nightmare property next door in which the landlord seems to not care a whit about- even though he's a minister!!- and the tenants he puts in there are so trashy it's unreal.  So we have had to deal with so much mess and hassle and disturbance over the years thanks to this property.  Well, periodically, I will file complaints when I reach a breaking point (talking to the landlord is like talking to a brick wall).  Right now they have a dog trapped on their back porch who is making a HUGE mess- that I have the sheer joy of seeing from my kitchen window- and there is litter and overgrown weeds everywhere.  UGH!!!!

Here's the aftermath (I salvaged them from the street, and then did replant them- only NO BLOOMS- and they had just opened, too ):

Isn't that just pathetic??  What is WRONG with people?!?!?!  Oh, how I miss living without neighbors.

Okay. Thank you.  On to girlie stuff....

 Gel      Acrylic

 If you are planning to join in the Book Club, do you mind just leaving a comment and saying "I'm in!"  I'd just like an idea!  Thanks!!

Here's my kitty who thinks he's Prince Charming:

Hi everyone!

Well, we had a really good time visiting George's sister and his niece and GREAT-niece who had her first birthday party while we were there!  Here's a pic of me with the cutie-pie birthday girl:

That's my husband's thumb in the left foreground.   She's wearing the little outfit I picked out for her.

I have been working in my yard here and there.  My irises are doing amazingly well this year!  Last year they hardly bloomed at all, and this year they are profuse!  I guess they needed a year of rest or something.  Half of them haven't even opened yet, but the buds are up.

As for my nails- I decided to go with acrylic this time around- and I think I am liking them better than gel.  They both have their advantages and disadvantages, I guess- but I think the acrylic can look more natural, at least by the girl I go to.

As for my hair- I found a product by Aussie called "A Touch of Shine" gel that has NO 'cones in it and it is a very soft, shiny finish.  My curls are forming perfect spirals all over my head.  I am using my regular conditioner (I use a brand from Trader Joe's which is all-natural ingredients) as a leave-in and then applying the gel, and then doing the plunking or plopping method with a teeshirt to dry- also makes it so nice while I'm getting breakfast and putting on my makeup to have my hair bundled up on my head!- and then I let it down and am mostly letting it airdry the rest of the way while I go off to work, and then we have 1/2 hour before we open the store so it has a lot of dry time.  Then I just scrunch the dry hair to soften any "crispy curls", and it looks great!!

I am also toying with letting my "silver" (prefer that over GRAY) grow in.  It is very silvery, in fact, and I kind of like it.  Will give it more time and see if I can handle it.

Well, next weekend we are going to Branson, Missouri for a conference with our travel business.  Not too excited about location- not big on areas like Branson- but am looking forward to the trip with hubby and the time spent there in the conference.  We'll learn a lot and it will be fun.  There will be a dinner cruise one of the evenings.  Trying to decide what to wear...   I'll figure it out- always do! haha!

Hope everyone is enjoying a touch of spring out there!

Well, what's been going on lately?  For starters- yesterday was mine and hubby's 17th anniversary!!!  I cannot believe I have survived- I mean, been married!!- that long.   Actually, I love my husband very much and also have learned to live with the man- and he has learned to live with me.  That takes YEARS- so all you gals thinking you can't make it, just remember why you married him in the first place and expand your hearts.  It's definitely not an easy and not always fun and happy road, but it's worth sticking it out with a good guy.

We had a fun weekend.  For our anniversary, George got me a tray ful of blooming tulip bulbs!  So I planted those today.  We decided to just stay in, so I fixed him a really delicious dinner and we just hung out and relaxed.  Then, we started talking about a lighting/wiring project in the living room... one thing led to another... and now we have ladders and drills and holes in the wall and ceiling and wires sticking out!!!  hahaha!  It's a good thing, though.  I am going to get my porch light WORKING (it has not worked in years) plus we're putting up a new one (that we bought years ago!!). I am going to have a pendant hanging over the entry door so when I come home, I can just flip on the light and SEE!!  (We live in an old house, so lighting is not always convenient!  I often come home to pitch blackness- and I have a black cat who is always on the ready to dash out!!).  I am also going to have a sconce on a narrow wall next to our fireplace.  That is going to be on a dimmer!  Yay!!!  My little digital camera has really come in handy because I can hold it inside the holes we make and take a picture and then we can see what's going on in there!!  My husband is very handy, and loves to do wiring projects.  He's practically rewired this entire old house.  Anywhere I want a light or an outlet or whatever- he can do it!!

I decided to take him shopping at TJ Maxx for a belated birthday/anniversary present, and got him some much-needed new clothes.  Since he's lost so much weight, most of his old clothes are really baggy, so we've been trying to build up a skinny wardrobe for him! haha!

Tomorrow evening I go in to my nails filled.  I've had gel nails... but I am really toying with having her switch them over to acrylic.  She said she can get the acrylic much more perfect because it's easier to work with.  I may give them a run and see what I think.. haven't decided yet.

Then on Wednesday we are driving up to visit George's sister and for his great-niece's 1st birthday.  She's a real cutie.

Today I mowed my grass- really needed it! played around in my yard.  Created a bird bath out of clay pots!  I'll post a pic of that once I get it just right.

Okay- it's getting late, and we still haven't eaten dinner- the day gets away from us when we are involved in a house project.  Till next time!! 

I wanted to thank Leah for all her GREAT input about haircare!!  Take time to read over her comments in the last post.  I have actually tried the "conditioner only" regime- but I don't seem to stick with it for some reason.  I AM using a detergent-free shampoo, however, so that's a step in the right direction.  I may go for trying just conditioner again- sure would free up some shelf space in the shower!!  Leah, share away!!  I haven't had a chance to visit the websites you listed- am hoping to get to those later today.  I was participating in a Long Hair Community and got a LOT of great info.

I think my biggest struggle with my hair is what styling products to put in.  Lately I've been getting better results.  I smooth in Pantene "Extra Liso" (it's a hispanic product- which actually is probably more what my hair needs!) and then layer it with Tresemme anti-frizz gel in the black tube.  I don't know if they have 'cones- haven't read the ingredients yet... but for now that combo is working better than anything else I've tried in a while!  I do have VERY thick, curly, frizzy, dry hair.

Anyone else have any great hair tips or secrets you'd like to share??

This morning I spent 2 hours getting a full leg wax at the Aveda Institute (cheaper!!). The things we do for vanity!!  Actually, because I have a pretty generous dose of genetics in the hair department (what's on my head equates to what's on my legs!!  haha!) I am trying to go full-fledged waxing and get away from having to shave every-single-day!!  It will take several months for the hair growth cycle to be in sync, but I am determined to see it through!  Wish me luck!!!

Well, today I need to get some juicing done.  George is out!  I also need to work on some typing for our travel business.  I hope everyone is enjoying this spring day- it is so pretty here!!

Toodles!

Whew!  Today is Monday- my "Kick Butt at Home" Day.  I try to not schedule anything else on Mondays so that I can just be home- grungy!- and get my house cleaned, my laundry caught up, etc.  I live in a big, old, 3-story house, so keeping it clean is a major job!!  I need a maid!!!  I have decided- especially since there are only 2 of us and a cat- that we really don't get THAT dirty, so I am doing a weekly rotation of floors.  I am trying this out to see how this works.  Hopefully things won't get as dusty if every 3 weeks the entire floor is getting deep-cleaned.  Today is 2nd floor which includes: full bath, 2 long hallways, master bedroom, and dressing room (which is a converted bedroom).  I still have the bathroom and one hall to do.

I got my rebounder back, and decided to bounce on it this morning- I run in place and do different things on it.  I am SO out of shape!  I was winded in 5 minutes- and I think I pulled a leg muscle!!

I found out today that I can get one of my "necessary" beauty services done at our local Aveda Institute for HALF the price of going to the salon!!  AND- you can't tip, so I am going to save a lot of money!!  woohoo!!

Last night we were spontaneously invited to the home of our good friends.  He needed "rescuing" because all the girls were getting ready to watch a Jane Austen movie, so he invited George to come hang out with him, and I got to watch the movie with the girls!  Fun!!  I love spontaneanity.

Okay... think I'm going to go attempt an at-home hot oil treatment on my hair while working on my house. (http://video.about.com/beauty/How-to-Make-Hot-Oil-Treatment.htm)

CIAO!!