Category Archives: live happy
a “social media” meteor…
No. Contrary to popular belief, I did NOT fall off the face of the earth. I was merely sidelined for awhile; a direct hit from a “social media meteor” that came crashing down to earth and annihilated my computer. A wee bit dramatic? Maybe. Anyway; Here’s the story…
So there I was. It was the day after moving my booth out of Trendz, and it was my first day forward on my new adventure. An adventure that is rooted in promoting myself and my business, “Creations by cathy“, via the world of social media. And the thing is, I really like this world of “social media”. Ok… Correction. “Liked” this world…
I had just posted pics from my Trendz move earlier in the day on Facebook and was busy working on a blogpost. Actually two. Suddenly, and without any warning, everything went blank. And black. Hmmm… “This is not good”, she thought, pensively. She was right. Her computer had crashed. And so the nightmare began.
It was a real mess. I had no acess to my email, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest – No pictures, files, internet. I was (sniff!) all alone!! And every time we thought we had it all done, we would hit another roadblock. So blah, blah, blah. Besides a few minor issues, I think it is pretty much behind me and I have transferred everything over to my laptop from “up in the cloud”… Whew!!
So this whole experience really got me thinking about how much we really rely on all of this “technological technology” to get us through our day. Our world. Our life….
So “what if”…??? What if our world still revolved around typewriters and adding machines and people paid cash… What if we waited by the mailbox rather than our “inbox” or a text message? What if our phones still had a (gulp!!) CORD! And what if our biggest distraction while driving was the AM radio (cassette player) being too loud…? Yes – the world would certainly be different than it is today. Better though? I dunno. In some ways… definitely yes. But we are here and there is no going back.
It’s kinda funny (??) how much more time you “find” when you aren’t able to tap into the old computer, though… During my “time away” from the social media world, I was actually able to steer off in a completely different direction. Several, actually! We finally started several “home renovation” projects that we have been putting off forever. Truth is – We are having so much fun!! We are still in the middle of everything, but I promise to share pics and stories! I have also been playing with my new camera (Christmas) and cooking (currently hooked on soups** with this “lovely” cold weather – Ugh!) AND continuing my attempts to organize (Let’s just say a long, long way to go with that! HA!)
So anyway – onward and upward. I know that I kinda, sorta, maybe implied that I was fed up with technology… but that’s only when it’s not working. You know, the old “love/hate” thingie. Besides, I just saw on Pinterest that the Mac comes in pink…??? What the heck? Are you kidding me?
Ya. I’m back.
**Check out my Facebook page today for 101 soup recipes!!
color me happy
perfectly placed pearls
So every day, my friend Martha (Stewart) sends me an “organizing tip of the day”. (Thanks, Martha) Let’s just say that I have been feeling pretty good about the (slow and) steady progress that I have been making in this department. Now mind you, this “organize my life” project started way before the whole “New Year’s Resolutions” thingie… As a matter of fact (confession alert!!), this “organizational mode of thinking” actually WAS a “New Year’s Resolution”. In 2012. OK. So it’s “long-term”. So what. At least I’m still plugging away; Right??? So back to the part where I am feeling pretty good about my progress. Today’s tip really threw me for a loop.
“Jewelry boxes can be handy, but they can also turn your prettiest baubles into unsightly nests of knots. Let your hodgepodge of china collect something besides dust: Orphaned teacups and saucers are perfect vessels for sorting jewelry, and, when arranged in a velvet-lined drawer, they give you an easy-to-scan bird’s-eye view of your bijoux. To set it up, measure the height of the drawer’s side (not the front), then gather dishware that’s slightly shorter. Line the drawer with velvet or felt to prevent rattling and sliding, then position the porcelain. Hook drop earrings on rims of cups, nestle necklaces within them, and stash chunkier beads and bangles on individual saucers.” (From Martha Stewart )
Upon reading today’s tip, I started to question my efforts and progress thus far. In reality, would I EVER really get to the point where everything was SO organized that I would be out shopping for vintage teacups in a specified height to delicately arrange in my (velvet lined) jewelry drawer…?? Probably not. And that’s OK.
But some of my necklaces are hanging, my rings are separated fom my pins, my pearls are all (blobbed together) in a pink cut crystal bowl, and I have a vintage mirror that I found in an antique store that I “blinged” (This last bit of trivia has absolutely no relevance. I just like the mirror.) So Martha – I’m looking for your approval, perhaps (?), that indeed I AM moving in the right direction…?
If not; I did come across some pretty “orphaned” teacups. Fine. I’ll start measuring the drawers…
oh; to define thanksgiving
November is one of my very favorite months of the entire year. Halloween, with all of the adorable little ghosts and goblins, is behind us. The craziness of the December holiday rush looms ahead. But November wraps us up in a warm, cozy blanket of giving thanks… of remembering what is important to us in our lives. A time to reflect and count our many, many blessings. I know that being in the retail world forces me to “jump the gun” on the Christmas season… and there is not much I can do about that. I do, however, have control over the way that I look at, and approach, the ENTIRE holiday season. You see, I have a little different perspective on everything. I actually see Thanksgiving and Christmas as being two parts of one beautiful season.
For me, the entire season is about family, friends, peace, love and gratitude. I know that a lot of people like to get a jump start on their Christmas decorations in November – but I still love to “decorate” my home for Thanksgiving – even though we don’t actually celebrate Thanksgiving Day here. Again – it’s not a “day” in November and then another “day” in December… it’s an entire beautiful season. There has been so very much going on lately – globally, and in my very own little world. Sometimes it reminds us to stop dead in our tracks and reflect on life… and what REALLY matters. I pray for “peace on earth” as we begin this most blessed “holiday season”…
(the above is an excerpt from my November newsletter… )
A couple of fun links for you to check out, as well as a few pics from “home”…
Tracy Porter napkin ring ideas
a few (of Oprah’s) favorite things
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds
- 1½ tsp. canola oil
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1¼ cups dried cranberries
Directions
Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 1½ hours
Preheat oven to 300°. In a small bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with oil. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until almost dry, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle maple syrup over pumpkin seeds and stir with a wooden spoon. Transfer to spice mixture bowl and toss to coat. Return pumpkin seeds to baking sheet and roast until dry, about 15 minutes, making sure not to let them burn. Set aside to let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container in a dry, cool place.
For the full link to Oprah.com, click here
So let me just say that I kinda, sorta made this… and it is delish! I didn’t actually have pumpkin seeds or dried cranberries. I did, however, have plenty of pecans and some dried pomegranates… just not enough. No problem. Threw in some dark chocolate chips to make up for it (teehee! good excuse, huh??)
To close this post, I include one of Oprah’s favorite quotes, as well as a video clip from one of her Top 25 moments on the show. Do you have a “Top 5” list of people that you would love to meet?? Well, this particular guest was definitely one of mine. Enough said. Thanks for visiting with us today, Oprah!
stand up and be counted
I took this picture from my front porch a couple of weeks ago, and the sunshine streaming through the flag seems the perfect image for today… a day of hope. You are an American. Voting is your right, your privledge, your responsibility. This is your country. No excuses. So stand up and and be counted.
Vote today.
Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. ~ John Quincy Adams
vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote
“moo” said the dalmation
So it’s Halloween. A day for lttle kids (and sometimes full grown adults!) to test their inner “ying & yang”. All of the sweet little angels want to be devils, and the crazy little terrors want to be Cinderella. It is a day that evokes so very many memories for me, somehow. As a kid, myself, we had a big family and there were no “costumes” like some of the elaborate productions that you see today. Basically, your choices were vast, and limited only by your imagination. That is “code” for “find some stuff in the house and put it on; we’re leaving in five minutes”. Well, let me just say that this was a system that worked just fine for me. My mom’s suggestion for me…? A gypsy. A what??? OK – Once I discovered that this costume involved lots of baby blue eye shadow and lipstick, my mom’s chiffon scarf tied around my head and lots and lots of her jewelry – especially that coveted gold coin bracelet/necklace… well, I was hooked. So a gypsy it was… every single year. Such a smart Mama…!
Fast forward about a hundred years – and our kids are now the “trick-or-treaters”. Oh my gosh, they loved figuring out their Halloween costumes, but the rules were (kinda sorta) the same. We basically tried to create a costume out of things that we already had – we just gave it a month or so; rather than the traditional “five minute warning”. There were lots of alterations… but the creative process was the fun of it!! When they were just a couple of months old, they were tiny twin pumpkins – so cute; but store bought! The next year, however, I was feeling really adventuresome. I went to a fabric store and bought patterns and material to make their costumes from scratch. Yep. From scratch. A bumblebee and a dalmation. OK – let me explain something here. I feel that sewing is kind of like math. You either “get it/like it”… or you don’t. Let’s just say that a sense of reality washed over me about “mid-project”. I get math. I don’t sew. Too late. So I finished it, and was feeling really proud of myself for pushing through. I dressed the kids in their costumes and brought them out, beaming with pride, to show their daddy. “Awww… How cute… Daddy’s got a little bumblebee and a baby cow”. Did he say – a COW??? Oh my gosh, it was, so obviously, a DALMATION… “Just look at the ears”, I screamed! “Those are dalmation ears!!!” Suffice it to say, that this was the “one and only” year that I made a costume from scratch. Any sewing from that point on was a straight seam or a needle and thread. Period.
The years rolled on; so many memories. An angel & a devil; a cowboy & an Indian Princess (still giggling about that pic… as you can see!), Santa & a bride; Batman & the Snow Princess… Wow. I remember the year of the pouring rain where we literally ran, carrying them, from house to house covered in rain ponchos; or the year that my daughter was sick and had to spend Halloween on the couch – so her brother took her treat bag and gathered candy for her at each and every house.
When my son got a little older, we would have to bring Uncle Patrick over to carve a legit “scary” pumpkin, because Mom wasn’t very good at that. My scary pumpkins were still kinda “happy/scary” – Like a creepy clown.
So fast forward another hundred years. I’m gonna have to say that Halloween just isn’t the same when you’re kids are in college. As much as I love the amazing adults they are today, and I really do, there is still that inner mommy voice that silently wishes to go back in time just for a moment… to re-live the memory, to capture that feeling… But I can’t. So I make Halloween coffee/tea and drink it out of my Halloween mug (from when they were little) one more day. The neighbor kids will be out in full force tonight and I love seeing all of them!! Time permitting, our little nephew will stop by for a quick pic and a dip into our Halloween bucket. I will, however, have to keep his mom away from my display of Halloween photos from years past. She was over the other day, and was gazing admiringly, at all of the pics. She is one of those people who DOES sew, so the fact that she was fixated on the pic of my “bumblebee and dalmation” was particularly impressive. She obviously recognized the quality and workmanship that went into those costumes. “Awww… How cute!” she exclaimed. “A bumblebee and a cow!”. Right. I give. “Mooo….”, said the dalmation.
fall =apples
Oh my goodness … over a week since you heard from me. Shame, shame. Please. Let me explain. Here are my excuses (in no particular order)…
Have a big holiday show coming up in less than two weeks (yikes!) AND my (naughty) computer has been giving me SO MUCH grief!!! Frustration at a new level. And just when I need it to be my friend. Murphy’s Law… right?? We’ve all been there. And then there’s that “P” word… If you are “in the club“, you know what I’m talking about. My mom knows. My daughter knows. They are in the club. The word, my friends, is P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. Yep. See – I even procrastinated by typing it out that way; therefore taking longer. I have a (bad?) habit of getting sidetracked. Really sidetracked. I think creative people are just born that way. Yep. That’s it. Anyway – those are my excuses, and I’m stickin’ with ’em..
Anyway – it’s fall – but it has been cold the last couple days like WINTER! Ugh! Not ready for that. OK – NEVER (ever) ready for that. But it IS still fall, and I think that apples = fall. Don’t you agree? Well, our friend, Martha (Stewart) sure does. She hs over 50 recipes to share with you that all revolve around the beloved apple. OK – confession (yes… another one…!) I realize this is very un-American… but I (gulp!) don’t like apple pie….. I know, I KNOW!!! What the heck is wrong with me?? But for those of you who do, there are a ton of variations of the “all-American apple pie” in this link. Along with some super yummy treats for those of us who prefer the “other” goodies. Like BBQ Pork & Apple Kebobs, Apple Cheddar Frittata and Quinoa & Apple Salad with Curry Dressing…! Hungry now? Ya – me too! But no time for eating now, my friends. I have got a “things to do” list for my show and I need to FOCUS!! And I will. Right after I make some apple muffins…
falling into fall
This past Sunday was a glorious fall day. Perfection really. Cool sunshine and the trees ablaze with color. The rumor, this year, was that the drought was going to rob us of a beautiful autumn… but, oh my, I beg to differ.
I love fall. Crunchy leaves, brilliant, glowing color, pumpkins and hot apple cider, sweaters and cozy blankets, soup and comfort food, sipping wine by an outdoor fire… If there has to be a downfall to autumn, it is the fact that it is never, EVER long enough. Winter just isn’t my thing. At all. Let me say that again. AT ALL. I considered this on Sunday. As beautiful as the trees were that day, I knew that it was only a matter of time, and a little wind, before our trees were naked and primed for (gulp!) the inevitable…. With that in mind, I grabbed my camera and started exploring, in a desperate attempt to somehow capture, and retain, the moment.
Today was a blustery “Winnie-the-Pooh” kinda day – and COLD! The wind howled outside, blowing huge gusts of crunchy leaves in circles outside my windows. Looking out, it was impossible NOT to think about Sunday. Glorious Sunday; when the trees were lush and full and saturated in brilliant color. No longer. The grass was now a carpet of fresh fall foliage.
Lucky for me, today I had a stay-at-home “things to do list” that only seemed to multiply as the day went on! You know the kind – Cross one thing off, add three more! So I threw another load of laundry in, gathered my IPAD, laptop, phone and my “to-do pile” and parked myself on our glassed in porch. Warmed up some apple cider and started the fire while the wind continued to howl outside. Looking out at my half naked trees, I closed my eyes and hit the rewind button. Yes. I remember. It was Sunday. Glorious Sunday…