Thank you! (This post is long overdue...)

My bloggy pal Penny (aka Miss Night Owl) makes jewelry and sun catchers in any shape you could ask for. (Visit her etsy shop - SO creative!)

Just before I graduated in April, I got an email from Penny stating that she'd like to make me a sun catcher as a graduation present and what shape would I like it in? She can do anything, she said.

So I thought on it and realized that the shape I most wanted was the lake where the cottage sits. So I google mapped it and this is what I sent her...


View Larger Map

Except her version didn't cut off the corners of the lake.

She is SO speedy! I sent her the email on April 20, and I had the finished product in hand on April 25.

And it is BEAUTIFUL!


Penny's dad claims it looks like someone sat on West Virginia (hee!) but I think it's a wonderful representation of the lake I love so much. The blue heart bead up near the top marks the spot where the cottage sits.

The cottage has been rented out for the past two months, so I've been able to enjoy the sun catcher at my house. The renters are now gone and the sun catcher is going to it's permanent home on the lake this weekend.

Thanks so much, Penny! We keep a journal out there so each time we visit, we make an entry. I'm going to be sure to include the addition of the sun catcher so future visitors will know where it came from.

Denimless, Week #1

Week #1 was a success!

Monday evening I went to Old Navy (after all the holiday festivities, of course) and bought 1 pair of non-jeans pants, 1 skirt, 1 pair of linen shorts, three pairs of capri pants, and two tops.

The pants I bought? The most comfortable pants I think I've ever worn. And they've got straps at the bottom so I can roll them up and convert them to capris! Who knew? Convertible pants!

A change is in store.

Eleanor in Australia wrote this post the other day about the uncomfortable quality of bluejeans for her specific body type. This got me thinking and I found that I am the exact opposite -- I find jeans amazingly comfortable. Further, they are my comfort. They are my default go-to clothing item when I'm not sure what to wear to casual events. I am confident in them. I figure if they make me under-dressed then oh well -- at least I'll be comfortably, confidently under-dressed.

Further though revealed that jeans are my crutch. They are my clothing rut. They are the fashion uh-oh that I've been stuck in for years. I am going to remedy this...

I've decided that for the summer, I'm going to try to ditch the denim!

No denim jeans on chilly evenings (yes, we have chilly evenings in the summer - this IS Michigan), no denim shorts or jackets. I'm even going to stow away my most comfortable bum-around-in shirt that is only denim colored (it's the softest cotton shirt ever).

I'm giving myself the weekend to pack all the denim I can find in my house into boxes for summer storage. My denimless state will begin on Monday, May 25.

Eleanor has discovered that jeans are not her style. I'm hoping that by the end of the summer they won't be my style, either.

Wide widths

I wrote Keen this letter today:

Hello Keen!

You've got some mighty cute shoes, Keen.

Mighty cute.

But you don't make them in wide widths.

Which means I can never buy a pair of your shoes!

And this makes me sad, Keen.

Very sad.

Because you've got cute shoes!

Keen, I'm begging you...

Make some of your cute shoes in wide widths!

Cheers,
Hopefully a future loyal Keen wearer

Specifically, I lurve these:
Sienna Stretch Ballerina in sweet pea or flamingo (how fun!)
Madrid MJ in topaz
Coronado Sandal in amaranth or misted yellow
San Mateo in carob
Ventura Canvas

Anybody got an "in" with a Keen decision maker? If so...send 'em my note!

Bonfire

S and I braved the chilly evening last night to enjoy a fire in the firepit.


We sipped on glasses of Tito's and talked about the housing market, lawn care crews, and camping in the backyard.


And then S proceeded to try to scare the ever-lovin' shit out of me.

A sure sign of spring in Michigan

The car shows have begun!

Shiny classics are popping up all over.

Here is S, schmoozing it up with the owner of that classic wagon behind him:

S is wearing a vintage late-1950's bowling shirt. It was his dad's. What makes it even better is that his dad's name was Earl.

Here's the back of the bowling shirt:

The Dag-Wood is now called the Fleetwood. They make kick-ass breakfasts there.

I've changed my profile picture. Here it is in full-size for you to see:

Look at how GREEN that grass is! I totally wanted to roll around in it.

Isn't she dreamy?

She's a tad creepy, too.

A Meme

So I was tagged by Eurolush to do the latest meme makin' the rounds. Here goes:

What are your current obessions?
Reading cheesy romance novels that I've already read. Margaritas. Short hair.

What's for dinner?
I had a bowl of jasmine rice with scrambled eggs and soy sauce. Quick, easy, filling.

What is your greatest fear at the moment?
That my plastic microwave rice cooker is loaded up with BVAs or BVPs or PBRs or whateverthehell it is you're supposed to avoid in plastic and that it is, every time I make yummy jasmine rice, increasing my chances of getting some sort of cancer. I really need to get a new rice cooker.

What are you listening to?
The hum of the fan from my NEW (used) LAPTOP!!!

If you were a goddess what would you be?
Protector of the innocent, upholder of justice, and avenger of abused animals.

What are your favourite holiday spots?
S's cottage, eastern Kentucky, Mackinac Island, Petoskey.

What are you reading right now?
A cheesy romance! W00t!

What is your guilty pleasure?
Reading a trashy & very cheesy romance novel while sipping on a margarita.

Who or what makes you laugh?
S. Dogs. Eddie Izzard. Billy Connolly. Badger. Eurolush.

What is your favourite spring thing to do?
Opening the fraking windows! And LEAVING THEM OPEN. (I've had at least two open at all times for the past month.)

Where are you planning to travel next?
Planning? Europe. In reality, I'll probably head to Petosky or some other place in the northern lower penninsula.

What is the best thing you ate or drank lately?
I made some cranberry pomegrante green tea iced tea the other day. It was yum. Other than that, it would probably have to be all those lovely margaritas I've been sucking down lately.

When was the last time you were tipsy?
Um. Let's see. Today is Tuesday. It wasn't last night I was a the pub with S. No, no, it was Sunday evening. Sunday!

What is your favorite ever film?
No way can I pick one. I'll give you top three: The Color Purple; Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth, o'course); and Love Actually.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned from your children?
I ain't got none!
But my niece and nephew taught me that I have no patience for children so it's a good thing I don't have them.

What song can't you get out of your head?
Currently, the earbugs are silent. But I've been on a kick with Patsy's Crazy lately.

What book do you know you should read but refuse to?
Prior to graduation, it was textbooks. Cripes almighty I hated reading text books. So I didn't do it. Post graduation, I'd have to say it would be anything political. Seriously. I hate politics.

What is your physcal abnormality/abnormal physical ability?
I am right handed but I can write left handed, backwards, and upside down. I'm not fast at it, but I can do it. I don't know that that is anything more than a dumb party trick, though.

What is your favourite candy?
Cadbury's caramel eggs. Thank God they only make them in the spring.

What is your favourite body part?
On myself? My eyes. On S? His bald head. And his smile.

What other bloggers are you tagging?
Well, everyone else but Penny has been tagged. So I'm tagging Penny!

That's it! I was going to post some photos but it's 9:00 and I'm damn tired. So you'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Cheers!

Catch up...

Oh people.

What a crazy couple of weeks.

Graduation went very well. I'm glad I walked. (The pictures turned out horribly so I'm not sharing them. You're welcome.)

Work has been nuts so I'm VERY BEHIND in reading the blogs I enjoy. I've got 215 posts in my Google reader. 215!

I missed out on Badger's "Who Wants Some Crap?!" Giveaway. I am both bummed and grateful that I missed out. She had great crap to give away but I don't need any more! I am also inspired to maybe give away some stuff myself.

I've been sewing. Not a lot, but still. Sewing!

All of a sudden the trees have leaves. And the birds! Oh the birds.

And the sun!

Speaking of sun, Penny over at Miss Night Owl made me a suncatcher as a graduation present. I LURVE it and am planning a post about it.

Have been reading a ton but not sure I'm going to count the books in my 30 books of 2009. They're all those cheesy little romance books that you can storm through in an evening, and I've already read them. Some of them I've read several times. It's like watching a favorite movie over again.

Eurolush will be glad to know that I've slowed down on the DE Stevenson books. The Miss Buncle books are, so far, the best of I've found.

OK. All for now. It's Monday morning. I'm back in the office after working off-site all week last week. Catch-up has begun. And it pretty much sucks.

Hugs to you all! I've missed blogland.