It’s The Little Things: Being Home

I have a theme (or a bad habit). And that theme is I will have a post ready to go for my “little things” weekly section, but something else will inspire me more. So, that post gets pushed off indefinitely. And I write some random things instead.

But they come from the heart.

That’s gotta count for something?

Right?

While we were in Vegas, we had a good time, but there is just something wonderful about coming home. I wanted to share the little things that made my heart sing yesterday.

It’s good to be home.

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Coffee! From a pot! From my very own pot! Oh, how I missed this. The hotel we stayed at did not have a coffee maker. I yearned for it. And I yearned for a cup of coffee that cost less than $3.

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And water. In a glass. Filtered water in a glass. Free filtered water in a glass! Know my soul is splashing in this container right now.

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My pillow. My very own pillow. Devoid of stranger’s drool. How I missed thee.

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My kids. Okay. No pictures of them, but they were the best part.

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My puppies.

It is funny, because Ollie could care less that we are home. If anything, he is sad, because our house-sitter lets him sleep in our bed (resulting in our whole bedroom getting scrubbed before I will go to bed). Murphy was extremely excited. But then he spent the whole night guarding the bed in case Ollie got any ideas that he belonged there.

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Fresh baked cookies. These are my new favorite cookies. I will have the recipe up next week. I have been thinking about them all week.

What’s your favorite thing about coming home? What do you miss the most?

It’s The Little Things: Enjoying what you have, where you are at. In other words, home.

Also, the sound of ch-ching! is absent in my house. I find this to be my most favorite thing so far about being back. Unfortunately my mind has not quite come to terms with the silence. And even now as I lay in bed in the dark, slot machines are invading my quiet.

But it still does not compare to my very least favorite thing:

Laundry. Ugh. Laundry. How I did not miss thee.

Let me get back to being grateful for water while I fold clothes and lose money to the slots in my head.

P.S. Tomorrow I will have a huge post up about our Las Vegas trip. Complete with a picture of our wedding from fifteen years ago (just don’t tell my husband I’m putting it on the blog!). : )

My March Purchases. Eep!

Thank you guys for all of the anniversary wishes. They were much appreciated! We just got home and I am working on responding to all of your sweet comments. I cannot wait to check out my favorite blogs and chat with everyone. We had a nice time, but being home feels so good. I will do a recap soon. I also did some Anthropologie reviews while I was there. (Spoiler: I did not buy anything and only added two of the fifteen items I tried on to my wishlist. And one of those items is a pair of jeans). I also was able to do some Free People reviews while I was in Vegas and I added everything I tried on except for one pair of shoes to my wishlist there. Curious to see what you think.

I had the following post ready before I left. I figured I would share what I purchased this month. Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal (knock on wood):

I am so boring this month. Well, not budget wise. Budget-wise I am weeping. That is because I went over this month. I was having the hardest month and to make myself feel better I shopped. Then I felt guilty. And worse. But I love the darn clothes. I need to slow my roll for April. I believe I say this every month… Hmmmm.

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I purchased these fun Cala Pompom Sandals from Anthropologie. It is the first full price purchase I have made in a long time. The funny thing is, they had 15% off two weekends ago, so I got a price adjustment. I guess I can’t pay full price even when I try.

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And I purchased this amazing hippie dress from Free People called Sweet Lady Maxi. And not so sweetly of me, I cropped the model’s head off. I did not like the hat she was wearing with the dress. It ruined it for me and is perhaps the reason this dress hit sale so soon. And also, maybe the shoes. But who am I to criticize? It is on sale from $108 to $50. I bought it in a small in the pink color and it fits perfectly. It needs a slip underneath, but that just makes it better, because it adds a fairy tale like feel. Post about this dress coming up next week!

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You know what? This beheading of models thing is kind of addicting. Here I did it again. Nothing against the models, but I can picture things so much better when the dress is on a form. Anyway, I also got this Candela Heart Dress for 62% off which might be my new favorite thing. So, of course I have only been caressing it. I have been scared to wear it. I don’t want it to get hurt.

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Here I left only two torsos. I am sick, man. Sick.

Marie Antoinette had nothing on me. Brahahahahah!

Forever 21 is selling these cute items that they call dresses and I call slips. The first one in coral is Backless Smock Dress for $15.80. The second one in blush is called Darling Babydoll Dress for $14.80. I bought the two different colored pink slips to layer in two different sizes so one will peek out from underneath the other. I plan on layering a fun cardigan over the pair.

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I scored this Free People X Lydia Maxi Skirt from Nordstrom Rack. I wore it in Las Vegas. It is one of the few Las Vegas outfit photos I managed to capture.

This is my first photo here I did not mangle. It is me being a grown up.

Why is that so hard?

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On top of all that I bought two vintage pieces (one being a belt that was featured last Thursday) from Modcloth when they did their bohemian vintage collection.

Sigh.

I think what we learned here is that I am secretly a homicidal ballerina princess who cannot stick to her budget.

Who knew?

Hey! I can see you raising your hand.

Have you been as bad as me this month? What is something that you purchased this month that you love? Or have you been so very good?

Past Cards: Rubber Mops

I’m introducing a new blog feature. It is kind of similar to my monthly post “Overheard In,” but instead of eavesdropping on individuals via listening, I am eavesdropping into the past through old postcards.

One of my many collections consists of old postcards that people have written on.

It is like a peek into that family’s soul sphere. Yes, I did just write “soul sphere.” And I made that word up. Blame my thighs. They are responsible for most of my bad decisions.

I pick the postcards that speak to me.

Only my thighs can understand the words, though.

Today we have:

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This post card was posted on September 12, 1947.

It reads:

Dear Jean, and all.

It is now 12:30 a.m. Just got in this is where I stayed last night and again tonight. Lots of people at fair today (Thu). I am out of rubber mops. Just taking mail orders now. Lots of love.

S. H. M.

Me too.

Or rather, what?

I looked up “rubber mops” to write this post, but cannot find anything on them in the 1940’s. I think it is a good thing that he ran out of rubber mops. I think S. H. M. was a rubber mop sales person or invented rubber mops? What could the initials S. H. M. stand for?

Swiffer Hater Man

Sells Hoarders Mops

Spanks Helper Monkeys (Sorry. Wrong post.)

Saves Happy Maids

I wonder if Jean received this letter and was excited that all the mops were sold. I wonder if she was going to get some of the mop money.

Had she been doubtful of this venture? Was he like, “Honey, I’m going to invest all of our money into mops made of rubber. And sell them at a fair.”

Did she cry into her mop made of yarn as he left for the fair?

So many questions.

I do not think I have ever used a mop.

I certainly have never purchased one (Swiffer user).

S. H. M. would be so disappointed in me.

Sob.

Oh great.

Now my thighs are crying.

Where’s a rubber mop when you need one?

I guess they were all sold out at a fair in the summer of 1947.

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P.S. I shared this on Savvy Southern Style.

And My Romantic Home.

The Chocolate John Do-nut And The Lemon MaJam

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Since my husband and I are at this very moment in Las Vegas, I think it is only fitting to share the first trip I ever took to Las Vegas:

When I was nineteen (eeep! Mom! Shield your eyes!) I drove down with my girlfriend to “sin city.” To see what it was all about. Just to browse, you see. Nothing devious. Wouldn’t dream of it. We had very little money. We just sat in the lobby. And okay, we gambled.Cause, um, we did. And we won $40! Woot! Not that I am advocating underage gambling. Wouldn’t dream of it. Just keepin’ the story real here. Don’t be like me, kids.

So, we were sitting in the lobby of a hotel to catch our bearings before making the four hour drive back home. Thanks Mom and Dad for the gas (Sorry!). ; ). We decided the best place to not get caught in our underage deviousness was to stay by the elevator benches. The benches happened to be near three pay phones.

My friend sat on a bench across from me.

I sat all alone on my bench. And okay, maybe, just maybe I was dressed a bit on the risqué side. This was, after all, the nineties. Halter tops were all the rage. Or was that just me? It was also the point in my life where I would work out twice a day, so yeah, I kind of rocked that halter top. I can say that now, because everything that was in the halter top that was good and worth writing about has long since fallen and poofed out. Never to be seen again. Or written about in present tense. Without crying.

Sob.

As I was sitting on my bench, a middle aged, short stalky bald-headed man walked up to the pay phones. He made a call. After about five minutes of staring at me, he finally approached me.

This is what I remember him saying, “Chocolate donut?”

To which I replied, “What?”

I guess that was not the correct response. He got flustered, began patting his bald head that had begun to bead with sweat with a handkerchief, and walked back to the pay phones. Before he placed another call on the pay phone, the most gorgeous blonde I have ever seen walked past. She paused at the bench I was sitting at. I will never forget her or what she was wearing.

She was wearing a creamy yellow suit that was demure and came down to just past her knees. Her ivory white top was just barely unbuttoned. She wore four inch stilettos and smelled like heaven. She exuded money and class.

I just stared at her.

Then the weird little bald-headed sweaty man approached her, too.

I wanted to warn her that he was obsessed with pastries.

But before I could, he whispered to her, “Chocolate donut.”

Instead of looking at him like he was deranged, like I had…

She calmly replied, “lemon jam.”

They He excitedly and very quickly got into an elevator together and made it up to another floor of the hotel. I’ll never forget how beautiful and poised she looked standing next to him. How very business-like and professional. Completely opposite of what I thought someone who liked lemon jam would ever look like.

Hmmm. Where do you think they were going?* Because as far as I know chocolate donuts and lemon jam do not and never will go together. Maybe they found something else to do.

I just can’t imagine what.

Do you think that little man ever got that chocolate donut he was so craving?

Because now I kinda want one. Not gonna lie. Good thing I don’t have a halter top to fit into or any lemon jam to make.

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* Yes. I know. I know what they were doing. Just bein’ funny… I know they were totally making pastries that she was…um…selling.

Isn’t that what the kids are calling it these days?

Or is that just me again?