Home Sanctuary

Pursed

 

http://allwomenstalk.com/7-cute-purses-for-fall

 

Several years ago, I found myself wandering aimlessly through Blockbuster (remember those days?), hoping to find something suitably entertaining to watch, when my purse began to fart.

That's right.  It farted.

Again and again.  Loud, juicy "phhhhhts" of extruded gas.

I looked down at the bloated bag hanging from my shoulder, and knew immediately what had caused its flatulence. 

One aisle over, doubled over in laughter, was my son, Grayson (age 14 at the time).  In his hand was a small remote with a button for activating a little portable machine which he had recently acquired at the church garage sale.

A remote-controlled Fart Machine.

Which he'd secretly placed in my purse.

"It's going off by itself!  I swear!" he said through his laughter.  "Look!"  He held out his palm and the fart sounds just kept on rolling from my purse without his thumb touching the button.

I couldn't help it....I started laughing with him and we had to hang on to the DVD racks to keep from falling over.  With each new "phhhhhhht" we tried to suppress our giggles, which only made it funnier.  We exited Blockbuster without a shred of dignity.

My purse lost a bit of weight when I took the guilty machine out, but these days it's still far too overweight for its bone structure.  It just keeps eating things like paper and receipts, and you KNOW what too much fiber will do.   A slimmed-down purse is far more attractive and much less likely to have gas.

Today's Small Thing is to help your purse shed some weight by cleaning it out.

 Reduce the excess tonnage by removing everything but the bare essentials.  Try using small ziplocks to contain things like cosmetics or other small items.  I'd say it's time to let the receipts from Christmas go. Ya think?

40

POINTS: 40 for avoiding Purse Flatulence by nipping bloating in the bud

Celebrity Mug Shots + Coffee

 

I got this awesome little email from Melissa yesterday:

I wanted to e-mail you with a little thought that made me laugh out loud this morning.  (There was no one in the room with me so it practically echoed!)  I was at my desk and I noticed an empty wine glass and a coffee mug just hanging around taking up space.  Uh Oh...what should enter my mind, but a Small Thing from my past.  Yep, you guessed it...Celebrity Mug Shots!  I went around my house from room to room and I am embarrassed to say that I rounded up a dozen stray mugs and glasses!  Just goes to show you what a big effect the small things can have on your life.  They stick with ya!   Thanks for making the Small Things fun, Melissa

It's been a couple of years since we did mug shots, so I thought it would be a great time to bring it back. Thank you, sweet Melissa...for reminding me that Small Things matter and that they make a difference!

Celebrities never look as glamorous in their mug shots as they do on the red carpet.

Paris Hilton: Bad Girl.

 

 

James Brown: Do you feel good?

 

 

Keifer:  How DO you fit it all into 24 hours?

 

Shia: Too plastered to be remorseful.

 

Nick Nolte: Scary hair, dude.

 

No Comment.

 

 

And this bad boy.

This criminal finds his way all over my house. He and his frat brothers, the water glasses, like to party in front of the TV, in the bedrooms and even in the bathrooms.  The kitchen counter is another one of their hangouts. Lawless bunch of loiterers. They're even bringing up a new generation of ne'er-do-wells, the sippy cups, who generally end up joy-riding endlessly in the minivan or stuffed behind furniture.

Today's Small Thing is to be a cop and round 'em up.

Too tired?  Hire your kids to be bounty hunters and find those outlaws. However you choose to find them, bring them to justice and put their mugs in the slammer, or wherever they belong.

20 points per cup, mug (or wayward glass)....no limit! Round 'em all up!

 

 

Whew, what a week! Celebrating our anniversary was undoubtedly the highlight...and now we are in the throes of preparing for my husband's sales trip. Every summer he has several events that he is part of, demonstrating a shotgun training system that he reps. It is a ton of work to prepare for, and then a week of gruelling work once he is there. I, on the other hand, get to take it "easy" at home while he is away. Yes, I still have to work, but without meals to make and our daily routine gone, it feels a little bit like a vacation for me. :) Shhhhh. Don't tell him....

What is going on in your life? Although host Company Girl Coffee each week, I've been unable to get around to visit with each of you for the past few. After Tom gets out the door, I plan to sit down with my coffee cup and spend some time making my rounds. I hope you'll link in so I can check in on ya!

Simply add your blog to the linky tool below (if you're reading this in an email version, pop over to my blog and you'll see the list) and let's chat!

Hot Mess

Oh, we had a fantastic anniversary on Tuesday! Besides the super-fancy dinner we enjoyed together, the highlight of the day was stopping in at the chapel we were married in - at the very moment of our ceremony. Talk about a strange, tickly feeling in our stomachs to sit right there and go back in time. My sweet husband took my hand and prayed, giving thanks for the wonderful years we've had, and then dedicating the next 30 to Him. It was unforgettable.

I didn't think about dishes or laundry or work for about 36 hours, and I loved it. Of course, I walked into the house to find that it was exactly as I'd left it: relatively neat, but in need of attention. Shoes by the door, mail on the counter, bacon splatters on the stove top...the usual.

So, we'll get back to the Small Things with one of those things that I really need to do, and I've been putting it off until I could get points for it - ha!

A Hot Mess.

The term "hot mess" usually brings someone like Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen to mind, poor people. While they work out their problems in the public eye, I've got my own hot mess to think about: my stove top.

Since I tend to be a "stove top" chef, I am constantly wiping up greasy splatters in the kitchen.  I start a number of my edible delights with sauteed onions, garlic and red peppers - the basis for making anything taste good, even if it's a hastily prepared meal.  The downside is that the buttery goodness ain't so good when it's sprayed all over the top of the stove and adjacent counter.  Particularly the next day.  Blech.

Today's Small Thing is to do a de-greasing cleaning of your stove top area. 

Pay attention to the backsplash, under the knobs and of course, those crusty drip pans. I use warm water to soften the gook, followed by something like Bam to wipe up the greasy spills.  I like lots of paper towels for this job.

 

When my stove top is sparkling, I feel inspired to eat out.  That might be a sweet reward for having a gourmet-level of clean for one day.

Take a picture.

POINTS: 40 for cleaning up your hot mess

Taking Today Off

Hi Company Girls! Im still celebrating with my man but I'll be back tomorrow with the Small Things that make life beautiful. I love and appreciate you...thank you for your warm wishes yesterday. It's been a wonderful time! Love, Rachel Anne

What Does it Feel Like to Celebrate 30 Years Together?

 

I scrambled through my boxes of photos, looking for pictures from our wedding. Today is our thirtieth anniversary and I thought it would be fun to share some! Well, I found our wedding album, filled with pictures of the wedding party, family members and the ceremony, but oddly lacking in a single good close-up of Tom and I together on our big day. So sad.

May I say...that wedding photography has come a long way since then.

 

(love how Instagram-y these photos look!) 

(silk flowers...all the rage in 1983) 

 

(three-piece cut-away tux...also all the rage.)

And we've changed too.

My rummage into our photos was like a blast backward through our family history. Wow...the babies, the jobs, the houses, the Christmases, the birthdays, the loose teeth, the school plays, the graduations, the shoulder pads and perms...all enveloped and shoeboxed and filled with a cacophony of memories and emotions that came tumbling out as each lid lifted. How could time have slipped away so quickly? And yet as I peered into the faces of us from years past, I was struck by just how much living - and loving - has taken place...often when we didn't even realize it.

 

 

This is us. This is our story. I found my journals in another closet, which told of my hopes and dreams for our future. Oh, they are sickeningly sweet and gooey...just as they should be. Back then, we talked about growing old together and having kids and grandkids - never really and truly imagining what it would BE like to be thirty years down the line. When you're 19 and 22, with a bunch of wishes and optimism, you can only hope and believe that it will turn out good. And pray that you'll be the ones that will last forever.

 

Over the years, we've seen so many of our friends' and acquaintances' marriages falter. Good people, better than us, have called it quits. And I don't judge, because no one ever plans to be in a painful marriage, or have their partner find someone else and walk away. We have friends who have lost their spouses to death - and no one would ever choose that either. Each one wishes that "forever" had happened for them, and there is real sadness because of it. And so it is with deep, humble gratitude that we will celebrate today, realizing that there were never any guarantees. Just fragile promises to do our best to love each other each day.

 

And we are here, we are together. What joy! We've made a family and raised kids who have amazed us. Each day, each moment is a gift that we should cherish...even the disagreements and differences that pop up and make us so mad sometimes. At the heart of it all, there is love and commitment and friendship. And romance. We still stay up too late talking, and then go to sleep excited to see each other in the morning. We're still really just those two kids - romantic dreamers who found each other and haven't let go no matter what life has brought.

 

Maybe we haven't changed that much, after all.

 

 

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life. I love you, Sweet Boy.

Say "I Love You"

Our anniversary today has made me feel much more sentimental and emotional than I expected. I'm excited and happy about this day! We'll be taking a couple of days to kick around Dallas museums and historic places, and spending the night at a beautiful hotel. We don't have big plans for a party - just the two of us being together is going to be fun! I hear that our kids have a party in the works for sometime in July, and I know it will really make this whole thing even more special. I can't wait!

Today's Small Thing is to simply say and do, "I love you."

Love is shown in both word and action, and if I've learned anything in 30 years, it's that it's the daily kindnesses that mean the most. It's the cup of coffee served to me by a man who never drinks the stuff. It's the wink over an inside joke, or a foot rub at the end of a long day. Making a favorite dish, taking over one of his chores, listening to him talk....things so small they can often be overlooked. But the little things you do and the sweet words you say can take a marriage farther than you can imagine.

I have proof.

If you're not married, or not with your spouse today, simply show your love to someone near you. Consciously look for ways to make that person feel loved!

Basket, Busted

A Tisket A Tasket, Ella Fitzgerald

 

I walked into my closet late last night and wearily got ready for bed. As I removed my shoes, my eyes fell on the attractive basket that I use for scarves, which sits atop a shelf at eye level. The basket is one of my "aren't I so organized" containers that gathers up loose items and puts them in one spot. I feel like Martha Stewart with my aesthetic organizational prowess sometimes. I smiled and patted myself on the back. Ah yes. I've got this "sanctuary" thing down.

But, in the words of Rachel Lynde, "Pride goeth before the fall, Marilla."

I looked closer at my basket and found it teeming with anything BUT organization. Yes, there were scarves in there, but also some pajama pants, receipts, belts, underwear and a tank top. I will also admit dumping the contents of a jewelry box into it when I needed the box for a stage prop at one time....about a year ago. The necklaces have gone to the bottom and the earrings are all jumbled in there somewhere. So much for my sanctuary efforts. 

 

Today's Small Thing is to empty a basket.

 

A basket in this case may be any type of container. A box, a carton, a bin, a bowl, a trailer. Baskets and bins are lovely solutions for clutter, but usually they are not made to be PERMANENT solutions. Or they might start out nice and neat with perfectly designated items...but eventually become catch-alls for whatever you don't know what to do with....much like my scarf basket - full of odds and ends.

I admit that my joy over seeing my attractive closet basket was dampened by the realization that I'd have to put that pile of miscellany away. But deep inside, I know I'll feel as light as a feather as soon as it's done today! 

Empty a basket or bin today. Decide where the items inside should go and give them permanent homes. Then, join hands with someone and raise your voices in harmony as you sing, "A Tisket, A Tasket, a green and yellow basket....."

60 big points

Weekend Prep + Company Girl Coffee 6.7

This is a crazy-busy weekend for lots of folks, with the end of the school year, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, and vacations getting underway. It's a great weekend to pull Minimum Maintenance out of your toolbox and do a quick run-through of the house before all the pandemonium breaks loose.

MM is simply a daily pick-up routine with magical powers, especially when you get your kids into the habit of quick bursts of power throughout the house. Take a moment to review the process here, and then spring into action!

Today's Small Thing is to get ready for the weekend with Minimum Maintenance.

Don't overthink, overplan, over-do or over work. Simply dive in and pick up, straighten and move on. You have important events and things to take care of this weekend, and knowing your home is presentable will make everything so much more enjoyable.

Wow! 60 points for something so quick! This is crazy. But fun!

 

 

Today is our last day on a faux finish project that has taken up most of the week. It's been awhile since I've had to scramble up and down ladders and scaffolding so I'm a little sore. I see now why it is harder than it used to be to keep my weight down! As I've slowly transitioned to more studio/office work, I've also stopped burning up a million calories a day. Oh the days of eating a burger and fries for lunch and still buttoning my jeans! Now I have the metabolism of a slug and I'm feelin' it!

Let's have some coffee. I sort of missed posting the linky last week, and I think it's high time to enjoy a virtual cup of joe with friends.

 

 

Let's Rumble!

This is kind of a crazy week. I'm working on a faux finishing project that is over an hour away from home, while juggling a few other things. I am exhausted! Then, when my internet went out on Monday night, I really got behind on emails and comments. If you are waiting on a response from me, I'll eventually get to you! In the meantime.....

Today's Small Thing is to rumble. That is, "attend to something that rumbles."

To get you in the mood, here's the Winnie the Pooh - "Rumbly in my Tumbly" song.

I know, I know. Your tumbly is rumbly and you would like to feed it as "participation" in today's task. One step ahead o' ya. I've already considered the brownies that are sitting on my counter. So chewy....

OK let's think. What things rumble? You only need ONE.

• Garbage disposal: You could clean it or dump baking soda in there.
• Ice Maker: Have you ever looked at the dispenser? Blech.
• Blender: That rubber seal between the pieces gets kinda gross.
• Coffee grinder: Not sure why you'd clean this, but perhaps you could just make yourself a cup of fresh coffee. Oh, and wipe it down when you're done.
• Car engine: Is your oil past due for changing? Mine is too! Grr.
• Clothes dryer: clean out the lint catcher, wipe down.
• Vacuum Cleaner: Naaaah, THAT doesn't rumble! It purrs. You don't have to vacuum today - yippee!

See how easy this is? Now - how will YOU rumble today? Let us know what you're doing....and if you can think of any other rumblers we could tackle.

Ready....set....RUMBLE!!

40 points for something so very easy!

Internet Issues :(

Hi Company Girls,

I've had internet problems since last night, so no Small Thing today, Wednesday June 4. I haven't been able to respond to comments or emails - I hate that! I'm on a job site today (20 feet up on a scaffold - yikes!) and won't be able to catch up until tonight. My internet is finally back up and running, and I'll see you back here tomorrow!

With love,

Rachel