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The winner of the Lilla Rose Flexi Clip drawing is: Tamani Purcell! Her winning entry came from a Facebook "like" so that extra step paid off!
Congratulations, Tamani! Please contact Sue Ellen through her Facebook page and she will take it from there. Enjoy your clip.
I ordered a Flexi-clip for each of my daughters and I can't wait to see them. I've been wearing mine almost every day and I do believe it makes me look a whole lot classier than my old hairbands. I love it.
Rachel Anne | Permalink
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Many of you wondered what happened to me yesterday - and I appreciate your kind concern. All is well, I am fine - it just got to be one of those days that got away from me and I didn't get a chance to let you know. Sorry about that!
First off, my dog. I've tweeted/FB'd about him recently because he is getting so old that we are wondering just how much longer he can last. Beau has been the best dog imaginable and it is awfully sad to see him struggle to get up and hobble around. He seems to have his days and nights mixed up - sleeping all day and then whining and wanting to go outside at night. I've lost more than a little sleep, getting up with him. However, he is always in good spirits, his nose and tail still work beautifully, and he is always happy to get treats. I guess he's still got a couple of months left in him and I suppose we will know when it is time to make a final decision about him. It's going to be really, really tough.....and I know so many of you know exactly how it feels. I will keep you posted. (sniff)
Last week, I showed photos of my neat pre-project office. I forgot to take a photo at the peak of the creative mess, but don't worry - this part was just to make preliminary pieces. When I start the "real" ones next week, it will be a tsunami and won't ya'll LOVE to see that! Here are my concept pieces. The first one is over the fireplace below.
I've photoshopped my painting into a living room so you can imagine it finished at "real size." It took me three canvases to get to this particular composition...but I will bring the other two to show at my approval meeting today. Looks like the color in the photo below is more true to life....(center canvas)
Notice the half-eaten chocolate bar....creative stress is killin' me.
For reference material, I used photos from our last trip to Colorado, as well as other images I found online. Lord have mercy it's been a challenge, but I like where this ended up.
For this next piece, I went out on a limb. These are for a TV studio, and I felt that I wanted a shot of color and texture for this particular background wall. Now, after speaking with the designer about it, I don't think they will go for something this contemporary, so it may be back to the proverbial drawing board on this one. The actual size of this will be 30" w by 84" high - pretty much the size of a standard door. Obviously, the dimensions of this little concept piece aren't correct, (as well as the size of the lettering being too big, etc) but this is just Step One of figuring out what to put on that big ol' wall.
Today I will meet with the designer and the clients to see if these pieces will work, and to discuss the finishes that I'll be installing in August. It is a big project and I have one teeny part of it - but it's the part that people will see......so I feel a little nervous. Yikes!
This has been an easy Small Thing week - between my Show and Tell today, missing yesterday and the Lilla Rose drawing on Monday - we haven't gotten a whole lot done together, have we? I've enjoyed the cameraderie and company regardless - and I hope you have, too. No Small Thing again today, just 'cause I'm awfully distracted.
Want to stick around for another cup of coffee? Stop in and visit the fine bloggers who link up today.......and why not toss your blog in there as well? Simply enter your blog post URL into the linkytool and see who comes knocking! Non-bloggers - please chat with us about what's going on in your life by using the comment section!
Rachel Anne in Coffee's On! | Permalink
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Thanks to all who have checked on me when they didn't receive an email or see a post on my blog. I'm fine....the day just got away from me yesterday, and then I was up with my decrepit dog all night so I didn't get up early enough to get a post out. The day got going and I didn't get to the computer until just now - 1:30 pm. Just one of those things! Life does that sometimes......but thanks for worrying about me :). All is well.
I'll be back tomorrow with the Lilla Rose Hair clip winner and Company Girl Coffee. Stay cool today...love to all.
Rachel
Rachel Anne | Permalink
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As I was pulling a load of jeans from the washer to put into the dryer, a soggy dollar bill fell onto the floor.
"Free money!" I exulted. I held it high in triumph. And there was more where that came from! Four soggy dollar bills entered my possession - and like all types of laundered money, I didn't ask where it came from or how it got there. I just accepted it as MINE NOW.
I could buy a latte with that. For "free!"
I smoothed out the bills on top of the dryer and noticed a small pile of other "found" items that had made their way through various wash cycles. Bobby pins, hairbands, ear plugs, BB's from a gun, change and a business card, which was more like hardened papier mache. All these little things that have sat there for.....I dunno. Maybe six months, a year. Two years, tops.
Today's Small Thing is to get rid of the stash of stuff that accumulates near the wash machine. The things you find in pockets that never seem to get put away. If you are organized enough to have a small basket or bowl for these loose objects, I applaud you. Your miscellany is contained neatly. But let's all take it a step further today and find homes for that stuff. It's been there long enough.
And feel free to adopt my laundry rule: Wash lady keeps the cash.
Song of the Day: His Blood Washes Me, Lindell Cooley (Betcha you cain't keep your toes from tappin - I love me some gospel sangin'!)
Do you ever put off doing those really gross, yucky jobs that make your face involuntarily screw up in revulsion?
Yeah, me too.
My face is doing that thing right now, just thinking about some of those jobs. Ewww.
See, this - THIS - is what Company Girls are for. When we really need courage, moral support and a gentle shove toward that dreaded task - we are here for each other. Urging, yea even egging one another on to victory.
Today's Small Thing is to do a disgusting task. I won't assign a specific thing because you can probably find at LEAST one on your own. Let's think:
Clean the bottom of a trash can.
Unclog a toilet.
Remove hair from a drain.
Clean up pet accidents.
Clean up people accidents.
Change a poopy diaper.
Throw rotting vegetables out of fridge.
Throw moldy leftovers out of fridge.
Clean a toilet.
Pump your septic tank.
Dress a wound. (hey, moms should get points for this)
Address issues of mold, slime or rot anywhere in the world, wherever they may be found.
Remove a tick.
Barf clean-up, possibly your own after doing one of these tasks.
What makes YOU say "OH GROSS?" Please feel free to share your disgust with us today!
Do ONE "EWWW, that's gross!" task (you might need today's song selection, "Walk Away" by Good Charlotte, to totally rock out while facing it!)
Dare you to tweet your gross-out task! Who will tackle the grossest?
NOTE ADDED: Leave your comments here, not on Sue Ellen's site, and contest runs through Wednesday night, midnight CST. Winner will be announced on Friday.Good Luck!
I believe I've mentioned that I'm a Hair Girl, right? Well, I am. I have a thing about having a great haircut, and I've often said that I'd rather have good hair than good clothes, if I had to choose. And I have had to choose quite often. Hair always wins.
That's why I love these new hair accessories that sweet Company Girl, Sue Ellen, introduced me to. Sue Ellen has started a new business as a consultant for Lilla Rose and wondered if I would do a review and giveaway on my blog in exchange for a product. Never one to turn down a free hair accessory, I was curious to see this newfangled clip.
I shall now show you how darling my hair jewelry is....and tell you how you can have a chance to win a free accessory too!
I chose this dragonfly Flexi-Clip. So cute!
It holds a ponytail nice and tight. It's important to get the right size, and Sue Ellen asked me a couple of questions to make sure I got the one that fits my straight, slippery hair.
This is the "half up" 'do, something I really like. Tell me this isn't classier than a plastic banana clip.
This is a front view, just so you can see that it doesn't pull it back so tight that it looks like you got a face lift. Unless you want it to, then it prolly could.
The classic twist. This would look a lot better if I'd hot-rolled my hair so the ends wouldn't stick straight up. But you get the idea.
A couple of days after I took the first pics, I DID hot roll my hair, and I tried the half-up look. I've got Wedding Hair to think about, people! I'm liking this a lot.
There are TONS of different clips to choose from, as well as You-pins, bobby pins, hair sticks....oh my. And they are all very, very pretty and reasonably priced. I am ordering some for my daughters because they have Wedding Hair to think about, too.
Now, here's how you can win. Sue Ellen is giving away $15.00 worth of products - which means you can choose just about anything you want. I really want to help give her business a happy boost because that's what we should do for each other - especially moms who are creatively helping their families by being involved with businesses like this.
I've copied and pasted her instructions:
1. To enter the giveaway, you will need to go to Sue Ellen's site:
Leave a comment here on my blog which Flexi-Clip you like best and which hairstyle you would wear it in most often. (This will require that you watch the size and styling video, but if you're like me, you'll find it fascinating.)
Products can be viewed by clicking on "Go Shopping" and the sizing and styling videos can be clicked on from the main page, or here:
If you want to do a SECOND entry (of course you do!) do this:
2. For a second entry, you will need to "like" Sue Ellen's Facebook page:
If, while you're checking out the merch, you decide that you MUST HAVE SOMETHING NOW and you make a purchase, Sue Ellen will give an additional 5 entries into the giveaway. This means that potentially you could have up to 7 entries to win a free product(s). SWEET!
3. Remember that the right size on the Flexi-Clips is crucial for happy customers, so please don't skip the sizing information and video.
Now, I decided not to do a Small Thing today because there's enough instructions in this post. But if you'd like to consider this your Small Thing, I think that would be an excellent idea. I love my new clip and can't wait to try the other pretties. Funny how just exchanging a hairband for a sparkly clip makes me feel like a new woman, possibly even a princess. Geesh....I really am a Hair Girl.
Have fun checking out the Lilla Rose products!
Happy Anniversary to my daughter, Lauren and her husband Robert! Has it already been FIVE years? I am so proud of them - they are both beautiful inside and out, and they were lucky to find each other early in life. I just love them! I love being with them and seeing them grow in their life together. Have a wonderful time together today, Rob and Elle!
Well, after getting a pedicure to celebrate my guys going on a fishing trip without me, yesterday I decided to round out my Alone Time with another long-overdue treat: a haircut. It felt great to sit in the chair and be reborn! Ask me tomorrow how I feel about all the new layers in there....I might hate them...but today it's all good. Then, it was off to have lunch with my sister, each of us driving half way, and my day was complete.
This week I'm working on a couple of commissioned art pieces so I commandeered our main office and set up tables and supplies where there is a lot more room. This is what it looked like at the start - before things became a "creative mess."
My, things look soooo neat, don't they? I only wish they stayed that way.
I am doing small-scale versions first so I don't mess up the real deals. It gives me a chance to figure things out before working on the large pieces that would take much longer to fix and correct. Those exact letters below won't actually be on there, but I'm experimenting with an idea....we'll see if it works.
I'm not sure I'll have the courage to show the in-progress work - both because of the mess AND because I hate showing anything unfinished. Maybe if you beg..... :) And if you'll be kind. Artists are terribly insecure.
Say, Priscilla is talking with Darlene Zschech about the Resolution Revolution today....I hope you'll stop over and see her.
NOW, let's have coffee! My weekends are always so crazy that I rarely have time to visit all the blogs that link up, but I am making a commitment to stop by each and every blog this week - so if you'd like me to say hi to ya, please link up below!! I hope you'll share what's going on in your life. And hey sweet readers, I hope you'll have a chance to do the same.....get out and meet some new people - it's easy and fun....if you're reading this in an email, the blogs are all listed on the Home Sanctuary blog.
No Small Thing Today....have a great weekend, Company Girls!
Rachel Anne in Coffee's On! | Permalink
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A couple of weeks ago, we worked on making our homes sound a little more sanctuary-like. I was definitely more aware of noise than usual that day, how about you? Since we started on the subject of our senses, let's just take it a step further and discuss "touch."
What does your home feel like?
Do you have soft towels and fresh sheets? Those are the first things that make me say, "ahhh!" I think of warm blankets, cool air conditioners, comfy socks, favorite T shirts, plump pillows and my heavenly bed. Wait, lots of those things involve napping and sleeping, don't they?? Oops, ya caught me.
Sun streaming through windows, books with fine pages, cuddly stuffed animals, the afghan placed over a chair. A throw rug by the kitchen sink to cushion my feet. Bubbles in a bath to soothe my skin. Soft cats and furry dogs....
There are so many things that fill our daily lives with pleasure, but it's easy to overlook them - especially when we get busy.
Today's Small Thing is to celebrate the sense of touch: the things that make your home feel good. Ask your children what their favorite thing to feel is and experience it with them. Put extra softener in with your towels or line-dry some sheets if you can. Plump some pillows, fluff the blankets, take a bubble bath...you could even explore the sense of touch with your husband. Huh, whaaaat? Notice the things that feel nice and see if there are ways that you can enjoy them. Simply be aware of how this sense affects your sanctuary today and see where it takes you.
Making your home FEEL good in some way - what a grand idea!!
What feels wonderful to you?
Song of the Day: 'S Wonderful, Diana Krall
I'm talking about my new orange purse over on Priscilla's blog today - and the reaction it gets from men vs. women! Pop over there for a smile today. (BTW, the purse in the photo is Prada, $599.00....not mine)
Speaking of purses, Today's Small Thing is something probably every one of us needs to do - clean out our handbags. I'm always amazed at how quickly the receipts, gum wrappers, notes and trash proliferate in there. And my orange bag is so huge, I can fit all kinds of stuff in there (including water bottles) so there is even more room for unwanted stuff.
Give your trusty carry-all a quick clean up and you'll be all set for your next adventure.
What are some things you can't live without in your purse? My #1 is LIPSTICK!!!
Song of the Day: Can't Buy My Love, Michael Buble
I love baskets. I love how they function both aesthetically and practically.....which is designerspeak for "they look purdy while they hold stuff."
For example, I use a bread basket to hold fruit in my refrigerator. The long shape makes much more sense than a round or square one. Yesterday, I noticed that some of those Clementines are looking soggy and need to be eaten or tossed. I didn't actually do it at the time, but it got me to looking around at some of the other basket cases around here.
Baskets on my bookshelf that hold old journals and color samples.
Baskets in my bathroom that hold feminine products.
Baskets in the laundry room, the kind that hold household items, (not laundry). These USED to be organized and are actually labeled, but have gotten a bit jumbled recently.
Baskets in my studio for paint and supplies.
A basket in my room for magaines and books.
A basket in the bathroom for the hair equipment.
The beauty of baskets is that they corral stuff into neat and decorative containers. But every now and then, you've got to weed out the junk that gets tossed in there "for now" as well as the items that are no longer needed. Otherwise they just become pretty trash cans, and that will never do.
Today's Small Thing is to take on a basket case. Find a basket or container that could use some attention, and pare the contents down to what it SHOULD be holding. Get rid of the old fruit, the holey socks, the outdated magazines....or whatever shouldn't be in there....and enjoy the aesthetic practicality of your innate sense of design.
Which basket case are you dealing with today?? (Ahem, not your family members...that will be for another day.)
Song of the Day: Basket Case, Sara Bareilles
