Iwanna Wednesday

Hey...thanks for all the comments and emails I received regarding my Hippy Bees. Unfortunately they are still out there because my bee whisperer was unavoidably detained and then I missed his phone call, but he promised to come tomorrow.

But, this is Iwanna Wednesday...the day I can want anything. My sister and mom call me Iwanna because the second I walk into ANY STORE I instantly see something I want. Sometimes it's not even a store, I can just drive by a house and see a rock or a window or a lawn jockey and Iwanna it. I know; it's a gift.

I'm sure you've all seen or may even have a wall saying on your wall, such as these:




I love those, they're sweet...but I'm not a the sweet, mushy type. I'm more the sarcastic, funny type, so what Iwanna today, for Iwanna Wednesday is to see some made up that say things such as these:


FYI...this is my bed, I just whited out the wall display and put the sayings on the now blank wall, and no...I don't have a two toned wall, I'm just not a great Paint Shop Pro, Pro!



And my personal favorite. . .

What's your favorite saying? Do you have a wall saying? What's it say? Inquiring minds Iwanna know...lol. Get it? A play on words.
What? You don't get it? Ok, well moving on. Til next Wednesday, Cya!

Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer

I'm taking my Hippy Bees on the road all the way to A Southern Daydreamer's Outdoor Wednesday. Be sure to go see what everyone else is finding in the great outdoors!

The Hippy Bees

"Imagine a dark bar, beatniks, candles, incense in the air, the sound of the bongo as you read this poem"

Aren't we all like the Hippy Bees? *bongo*
Trying to find where we belong. *bongo*
A place in the swarm where we feel it's warm. *bongo*
Away from the hive and the bees that thrive, *bongo*
with the queen and the drones.

*Finger Snap, Finger Snap, Finger Snap*
Taking a bow...Thank you, thank you!


WHAT THE HECK!!!
Is that what you are wondering right about now? What's all this talk of Hippy Bees and Beatniks and Bongos and poetry?

Actually I was just setting the stage for my first formal poetry reading.
What?
You didn't notice that was a poem above?
A poem about Hippy Bees?

Well it was. It was my first Blog poem ever, and I'm sure you are hoping my last :-)

I was inspired to write that poem a few months ago. I believe I've mentioned in previous posts that I have a bee problem in my back yard!

My whispering beekeeper came back a month or so ago and tried to climb up into the tree to place a portable beehive in the branches in hopes that the bees would move into the portable beehive and then he could just take them away rather than kill them. Unfortunately he wasn't able to get the portable beehive up into the tree because of the branches.

My bee whisperer then coined the phrase "Hippy Bees". He said these were unsociable bees that weren't happy in the hive so they left and began their own little commune where they live happily. And that my friends, is what promoted me to write the poem above. This gorgeous bee whisperer was my muse :-) Alas, my muse said he would be back later in the week to trim the branches and place the beehive in the branches...he never came back.

My bee problem has gotten bigger since that day...just take a look at these photos, you won't believe it. (click on photos to enlarge, and be careful they don't sting you!)

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!


Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!


I told you you wouldn't believe it. It started as a small little honeycomb about 6 inches by 8 inches, now it looks like there are 8 or 9 honeycombs! Up to now they haven't been a big problem. You don't see them flying around the yard much...not only are they hippy bees, but they are lazy hippy bees!

Unfortunately, now in the morning when I get up it's still dark outside and I usually always open the bathroom window while I take my shower. Well bees like the light and they squeeze themselves through the bottom of the window screen and the ones that don't make it in just sit there on the screen buzzing and scaring the crap outta me! So ...they gotta go.

I called several apiaries. The least expensive price I was given for a beekeeper to come out and take them physically away was $450.00!!!! These are bees people; not terrorists...geesh! The lowest price I was given for someone to just come out and kill them was $150.00, but they can't guarantee they won't come back. I was devastated. That's quite a bit of thrifting treasures cash money I won't be able to use if I pay the apiary guy :-(

So I called the whispering beekeeper...and just like the gorgeous prince I've always known he was he said he would just come kill them for free and all I have to pay for is the poison which is around $20.00. Tomorrow he will come and my bee adventure will be...a distant memory.
*bongo* Aren't we all like the Hippy Bees? *Finger Snap, Finger Snap, Finger Snap*
*Silence*

Who Do I Love?

You know who I love? Ann Curry. For those living under a rock that have never watched TV, Ann Curry is the News Anchor on my favorite morning show, which airs on NBC...The Today Show.


On Friday, September 19, 2009, NBC aired an interview which Ann Curry did with the president of Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I didn't get to hear much of it as I had to head to work, but today I went to NBC's website and listened to a little bit of it and then just read the transcripts instead as it distracts me to hear the President talking and his interpreter talking as well.

She asked some very valid and brave questions and to me got a lot of avoidance and double talk by the president.

It is not only because of this interview that I think she's brave or that makes me love her. But because of many other interviews she has done. She's also had some daring adventures. Last year in November she made it to the absolute end of the earth after trying for eight days. Ann made it to the South Pole and at 1am New York time she did a live feed by satellite in which she said,

“We can feel the altitude,” Curry reported. “I can feel all the moisture on my face freezing as I’m speaking to you. We’re the first NBC News team to make it to the South Pole. We’re feeling really lucky. The sun is shining. It’s absolutely beautiful here. It’s flat. Lots of great people. We were actually, if you can believe it, greeted by ‘Welcome Ann’ signs. I can’t believe that.”

Ann also cut her hair...for charity. Ann grew out her hair specifically for the reason of donating 10 inches of her beautiful, gorgeous, jet black hair to Locks of Love, the charity that makes wigs for children who've lost hair because of alopecia. There's a beautiful video of Ann, her daughter, and her daughters friends as they all donate their hair and you can see it here.

For so many reasons, I love Ann Curry. She always gets my day off to a great start and she's my hero!

Thrift Shop Treasures

Ok, I admit it...I'm a Thrift-a-holic. You know you're a thrift-a-holic when you start visiting thrift shops on your lunch hour and after work on your way home. Gone are the days that I used to get my thrill only on Saturday mornings. Now I feel the need...the need for thrifting. I can hear the thrift shop treasures calling to me at all hours of the day. Yep...it's true, I admit it. . . "My name is Alicia; and I am a Thrift Store Junkie". Hey that's catchy, I wonder if anyone is using that as their blog name?

Ok, I'm back, I had to go check and that name is available. There is a website called Confessions of a Thrift Store Junkie though; and her blog is really cool, lots of treasures, go visit. *sigh* It's so sad, someone else with the same addiction as mine...oh well, at least I'm in good company!

I know there will be more than 100 other junkies linked up to Rhoda at Southern Hospitality's Thrifting Treasures. So take a gander at my treasures and then be sure and head over to Rhoda's to see what everyone else found.

This post is going to be about an American Cancer Society Discovery Store discovery. It started as I was wandering around a week or so ago on my lunch hour (see, told you I was addicted). I saw this little yellow box and what called my attention to it was the little latch that look like a tiny ivory tusk...so I had to investigate further.

I opened it and saw this . . .

Here's a close-up. Looks like an egg of some type and there's a little card in there with some writing and what looks like a stand.

Yep, it's definitely some type of stand.

Oh....the stand is for the egg. Cool! I love it. It's beautiful. But what makes it so special that it would be in a cool little box like that with a miniature tusk?

Hmmm, maybe there's some information on the little card with writing on it?


Wow, hand painted from the inside??? But how? Oh, I see, there's a little hole at the bottom. How cool is that!

So here's the whole set...and it's only a few buck. Surely I need this. Ok, well maybe I don't need it, but I definitely want it. So I bought it and here is it. The whole thing together. Beautiful!

Drive By Yard Sale

I had a lot of things planned for today. A plumber was coming by because my toilet, that he fixed three weeks ago started leaking again. I had to change the oil in my car. I needed to pickup a prescription at the drug store. I needed to get groceries. I needed to make a Wal-Mart run for things like shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc, etc. So I didn't think that I was going to have much luck in making this a thrifting Saturday. I was pretty darned bummed.

I woke up pretty early, 7am and by 8am I was out the door to take my car to get the oil changed. Once that was over I figured since I was out I would go by the drugstore and get my prescription. That done, I started home and I drove by a house that had a couch in front with a big sign saying "FREE". Behind that couch I saw some floor lamps. I flipped a U and came back wondering if the lamps were free.

Of course they weren't. The free item was the couch, which I didn't want. It was in decent shape, for free...but pink, flowery, not my taste at all. The lamps however were $5.00 each. SOLD!!! I quickly called my sister and she came with her husbands truck and we took them home. My sister and my mom both think I'm crazy because I have no need and no room for more lamps.

And I don't, but c'mon, they were only $5 each. I was hoping my sister would like them. But she didn't. But don't despair...as usual I found a place for them.

These are étagère Torchieres with Frosted Glass Shade. I looked them up online and Target has them for $39.99. Mine are practically brand new. They were a bit dusty and spiderwebby, if that's even a word. But a little elbow grease and TLC and gorgeous!

All lit up! I immediately put my Angel's that were on the mantle on the shelves, but that's just temporary until I make some new thrift finds to decorate them with.

This one is by my bike to light my way in the dark when I'm riding it at night :-)


I tried out this one next to the fireplace, but didn't like it there at all, it stuck out. I've since moved it to the other side of the couch and taken the lamp that was there to my bedroom as I needed a new one there anyway because I broke my bankers lamp that I adored :-(

I have to confess now, I didn't get any of the other things on my list done. But that was because it was over 100 degrees today and too hot to go out and do anything. So for sure tomorrow. I'm going to post this over on K + J's Trash to Treasures, because it was that trashy, flowery couch that led me to these treasured lamps. Please go visit and see what others have found.

What I StumbleUpon

Sometimes I need to get my creative juices flowing; in order to find something to post about. Not often because most of the time ideas pop into my head all the time.

So when I have bloggers block, I Stumble! No I don't mean I get rip-roaring drunk and stumble around. I mean I go to a great website called StumbleUpon. Actually I have their toolbar and their toolbar has a little button that says Stumble! I click on it and I am magically transported to random blogs/websites/gaming zones/videos, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless. I can even set up my interests and choose for instance online games and it will go to unending page after page after page of online games for me.

It's awesome, I love it. If you would like it then just click here:

So I was stumbling and I came across this beautiful work of art and I had to share.

Is that not right up there with the Mona Lisa? I know it puts a smile on MY FACE! That's my absolute favorite pastry, Cream Cheese Danish...and now, I can make my very own!! Or at least I have the recipe to make it when the temperature is not hell and a half outside.

I stumbled onto a website called Joe Pastry, Baking News, Tips, History and Science. Joe has a whole list of "How To" make things, but I found the How To Make Danish Pastry, of course! It's really an awesome website with easy to follow recipes and great step by step photos.

Well, I can't actually bake right now, but I can do the next best thing. I'm off to make pancakes, but please go visit Joe Pastry, you will thank me!

Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer

I decided to post my Iwanna Wednesday just a tad early, although to be fair on the East Coast it is already Wednesday. So technically it's not early; I just live in the wrong time zone :-)

Anyway, Iwanna participate in A Southern Daydreamers Outdoor Wednesday event. And since my Iwanna post was about the outdoors and Bluebirds and stuff I figured it fit. So don't forget after seeing what Iwanna you can go to A Southern Daydreamers blog and see what else everyone else is doing outdoors while you're indoors reading blogs!! Just kidding, I know ya'll get out there sometimes. Ok...so scoot, go see what others are doing.

Be Well!

Iwanna Wednesday

This is for the birds!!

No, I'm not fed up with Iwanna Wednesdays. How could I be fed up with being able to shop for beautiful things and post them here for all to see? What's for the birds is. . .

wait for it~~~

wait for it~~~

wait for it~~~

Ok, so maybe I do watch too much "How I Met Your Mother", but what's for the birds that Iwanna this Wednesday?

BIRDBATHS!

Why? Because we have lots of beautiful Bluebirds in our back yard and they love it when I turn the sprinkler on. They play in it and flutter around and then they eat all those good bugs that come to the surface. So I thought maybe they might like a birdbath.

And I found some beauties. I never knew there were so many styles. I assumed I would find a white plastic one like I had about 20 years ago, but check these out . . .

This one I loved because those little birds can just kinda hang out and wait their turn for the water, or if they drink too much they can just sit there and wait til they sober up so they can fly straight! (No, I'm not planning to put tequila in the birdbath...the tequila is for me!)

This one is great because I do so badly with growing flowers...and this one is ready made with lots of beautiful flowers!

This one is the Minnie Pearl model. Oh come on! You don't know who Minnie Pearl is? What?? Oh, I'm dating myself? Ummm, no, I just know a lot of trivia, I'm not really old enough to know who Minnie Pearl is. Anyone want to guess why this is a Minnie Pearl model? If you can't guess, go here and see if you can get a clue. They have a lovely photo of Minnie and a great story, but then don't forget to come back cause we got lots more Iwanna lovelies to see.

Go on now...I'll wait.

Hey welcome back! Did you guess? I knew you would, you're a smart buncha people!

Now this next one I loved because the bath itself is copper and would reflect the sun so nicely. But would it maybe reflect too much and make the water too hot? I don't want Bluebird Soup! Nor do Iwanna blind the poor things with the reflection. Ok, so maybe not this one, but it is beautiful isn't it?

Awwwww, one after my own heart. I love Angels. Especially Angels who bathe! And obviously birds love Angels since Angels have wings like they do. If you notice some have already come with the birdbath to keep the Angel company.

Now I don't know about this one. Iwanna like it, well actually I do like it, but doesn't it look a lot like a Venus Fly Trap plant? But birds aren't flies, so maybe they would do ok? What do you think?

And last, but not least Iwanna this one. Awwww, isn't this adorable? This would even be cute hanging in your bathroom with a plant or some pretty hand towels or scented soaps wouldn't it?

Yep, I think the Bluebirds would be happy in any one of these. And we should be getting quite a few more Bluebirds cause don't birds fly South for the Winter?

Huh? What? What do you mean Southern California isn't the south birds fly to.
Oh well, no matter that is what Iwanna this Wednesday.
Which is your favorite?

My Mother's Talented Hands

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? ~Milton Berle

It's amazing that with only two hands mothers do as much as they do. My mom is a perfect example of that. Growing up I always remember my mom busy doing something, sewing, cleaning, cooking, painting, crocheting...and since we're at crocheting I'll stop because that's what I wanted to talk about today and share with you.

My mom has always been great at crocheting. She once did the whole Last Supper in crochet. And I'm not talking some little piece that goes in a little frame...this was a HUGE piece which was framed and hung in her kitchen for many years. It probably measures 6feet by 4 feet. It looks something like this one, only much more massive.

Unfortunately I couldn't photograph it because right now it's sitting in the frame on the floor behind her very heavy china hutch in her kitchen. But it's mine. She gave it to me many, many years ago. I have no idea where I will hang it because I really have no walls in my kitchen, but I will knock out a window and make a wall out of it if I have to!!!

But ok, before I start knocking out windows and building walls, let me just get back to the subject of my post today. My mom has started crocheting again and her first project was this little beauty for me :-)

A beautiful butterfly panel. It's pretty big as you can tell from the photo below. This isn't a love seat it's a chair and a half and this fits clear across it. I would love to display it differently but I haven't found quite the right place yet...but I will.

Mom is currently working on another project which I hope to post for you as soon as it's finished. I think it's going to be about as big as the one above, and she's only half done.

My mom taught my sister and I both to crochet, and I've made a doily here and there. I have posted one here. But I have no where near the talent or determination my mom does.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave a comment!

Be Well!